


Closest at Dusk

by Phoenix_Ros3



Series: Closest at Dusk [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago, The Dragon Prince (Cartoon), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-01-26 09:40:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 54
Words: 60,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21372058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Ros3/pseuds/Phoenix_Ros3
Summary: Lloyd and his twin sister, Kenzie, arrived in Jamonikai Village some years ago, not really knowing who they were. When someone from their past kidnaps Kenzie and sends Ninjago into darkness, Lloyd and Delilah - Kenzie's bff but not his - embark on a quest to get her back and save not one, but TWO realms.
Relationships: Family - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, Romantic - Relationship, godparent - Relationship, siblings - Relationship
Series: Closest at Dusk [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620649
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For this story I made our favorite Tinker a Sunfire because it was before we were told otherwise, and I couldn't change it because it was important to the plot. Thanks for understanding!

Kenzie could be heard, humming, the upbeat tune swirling up from the kitchen in her familiar melancholic voice. In some ways Lloyd imagined her as a spirit who never moved on. Nonetheless he was glad she hadn't, or nothing in this world would be worth hanging around for. She's said the same of him.

He watched her from a discreet position in bed. Like always, she wasn't fully present in her task. He never asked, but he always wondered if she was remembering their parents, or trying.

When they found themselves in Jamonikai Village, residents said they were the Garmadon Twins, but refused to indulge the two in more knowledge. Kenzie quickly took up the role of caring for her brother, mostly silent to all but a select few; Lloyd took on odd jobs throughout the village. It was clockwork- rally up the chickens, get eggs, cut the grass, get rupees to trade at the shop- but Lloyd would rather go adventuring. Kenzie would, too, he knew it, by the way her emerald eyes sparkled whenever he brought it up. But in the end she always listened to that Okami girl, Delilah.

He had yet to figure out why they were friends. Kenzie doesn't like people, avoiding them when possible. Delilah was just weird. Lloyd's hair stood on end whenever she was around, and her doll-like stare was frighteningly dead. He'd swear he's seen her flicker in and out like a shadow.

"You gonna keep staring or'ya gon' come down 'n' eat?" Kenzie called over her shoulder.

Rolling over the edge of the nook where their beds were stacked, Lloyd nimbly landed at his sister's feet. "What can I say? Yer a great view."

In an attempt to hide her amusement, she shoved the plate at him with a scoff and roll of her eyes. "Eat up. I overheard another nest built up in the village." Then she brisked outside, sitting among the tall grass in wait for Delilah.

☾

By the end of the day, Lloyd was ready to escape into twilight bliss. He was just about to ask for some ointment when he noticed the table was set for three. He groaned internally, knowing Delilah would be joining them tonight. But he would suppose it's for the best; her father was the local medicine man, and it wouldn't be the first time her skills came in clutch. What he didn't notice, however, was the tell-tale chill. He hadn't seen the spectre-like woman all day, and despite his reservations about her, Lloyd was concerned. For Kenzie's sake, he'd convinced himself.

Speaking of which, he didn't see Kenzie, either. Their little hut in a tree was an open space with no real place to hide, and if she hadn't been outside...

Panic quickly settled in. He looked to his sword, sheathed in a mysterious material with strange symbols embroidered on it. The villagers said he'd arrived with it. But he didn't remember arriving, and Kenzie never mentioned it. Where could she be...?

Exhaustion and worry don't play well together. Lloyd brandished the weapon, the familiar vibrating warmth traveling throughout his body and eliminating any doubt that this is his sword.

A scream came next. A pair of screams, but one stood out as the voice of his sister. Then it cut out sharply and terribly.

Lloyd was outside before he knew what was happening. The sky was darker than it ought to be at this time, and with that darkness came an eerie sense of drowsiness. He fought it, searching for a light source to clear his mind, but when he found it, he choked.

Kenzie, brilliant and bright Kenzie, lay limp over a dark figure's shoulder.

"Kenzie!" It wasn't him. Lloyd dragged his dreary eyes towards where a group of distorted figures brawled. Pain raked his body as the sky grew darker. The sword felt infinitely heavier and lighter all at once in his hand. The monster holding Kenzie looked towards him, eyes widening.

"Leave her! We have what we need..." That voice was indescribable, low and all around the clearing. The others released the doll-like figure of Delilah, flickering in and out as she dropped and hit her head. Despite her condition she still fought to get Kenzie away from those creatures.

For the first time as those monsters made their escape, since the day the Garmadon Twins arrived in Jamonikai, Lloyd felt completely helpless.

He always believed that if Kenzie were to disappear, he'd die. So when the darkness and pain began to take over, he wasn't surprised. No, he succumbed to it. Screw Jamonikai. Screw Ninjago. He just wanted his sister back.


	2. Chapter 2

He wasn't that lucky. Not at all. This might actually be worse.

Delilah's face was the first he saw when he woke. At least, he was convinced it was her, even though she was virtually unrecognizable. The spectre he knew was a lot paler, with green eyes and chocolate-colored hair. Before him was a shadow, with indigo markings alight through her nearly invisible form. Her hair was just add shadowy, and her eyes- barely visible like the rest of her- were purple. Most astonishing of all were the headdress and horns upon her head, as natural as if they'd always been.

The shadow lifted him up with ease, but he was uncomfortably low. Uncomfortable... Everything's wrong...

"It seems you've come into your Twyl form. This'll be handy," the shadow spoke, using what sounded like Delilah's voice. Lloyd couldn't be sure. He tried to avoid the spectre. He wanted to ask so badly. Tried. But his voice was all wrong, a hoarse bark. And when he reached up... "Sorry, Lloyd. Things took a turn for the worst. Twyl has masked over the real Ninjago. Aaravos and Runaan pierced the veil. I've lost... We've lost Kenzie. I doubt they'll kill her, but I don't think we should let her stay in the Twilight Realm for too long."

Despite whatever form he took- and right now it looks like it was furry- Lloyd nodded. As long as Kenzie's alive, he'll fight.

"Good choice," the shadow replied, after a pause adding, "Sorry. I can read minds, especially in my real form when I have more energy. Kenzie knew. While you were out in Jamonikai we would black out your hut and I'd...yeah, that..."

Lloyd took a gamble and ran out from this clearing towards the one in front of his hut, and then out to Jamonikai. The whole world was greyscale, and the lively roads he'd been among not too long ago, all vacant. Every lantern was out, and in place of everything was the lights. Suspended in the air, a ghastly array of flames.

Delilah came up from behind, feet not meeting the ground. Lloyd's eyes were already adjusting to the Twilight Realm, and he could see her hand reach towards one. The light flickered, a hum emitting from it. It didn't take long. "I'm so, so sorry. We're going to fix this, I promise..."

The light responded then drifted towards another cluster of lights.

"Your realm and mine overlap. It takes someone special and a whole lot of Twyl energy to cross between. Not without punching a hole between realities. Aaravos- the man who took Kenzie- has the ability, but he wants to destroy your realm."

Aaravos, Twyl, so many things were tangling a web of thought in Lloyd's mind. All of it clouding the one thing that matters: getting Kenzie.

"Well that shouldn't be difficult. Because our realms overlap the geography is the same. In fact they're so connected that any change in one affects the other. It's pretty cool, when you're not talking about the bleeding fabric of time-space. Your sister and I have been discussing having the three of us visit Twyl."

So she knew...

"Oh, she remembers as much as you do. I told her the rest. C'mon, we'll talk on the way." The shadow led the way towards the bridge. It connected the steep cliffs, and it's where he and his sister always stopped, thinking about running off and adventuring. "You and your sister come from Twyl. Your family sent you both to Ninjago to keep you both save from Aaravos, and the punch through reality is why neither if you remember.

"Aaravos was once a trusted advisor to your parents, along with your uncle, Runaan, and a few others. He's an archmage, able to manipulate all the elements. We worried he might've been too powerful for a long while. But he was a scholar and friend to the crown, so we trusted him. In his thirst for knowledge, however, he stumbled upon an ancient Twyl artifact."

The bridge beneath was merely rope and boards suspended over bottomless rock. It was the farthest he dared venture. He pressed forward.

"The artifact corrupted him, slowly at first. He claimed he discovered a new form of magic using Twyl energy. At first it was just small, mindless creatures. We didn't like it, but we let him experiment. We put Runaan in charge of watching him and reporting one of the only Startouch Twyls to exist's experiments.

"But one day, Runaan- leader of the militia- took a personal day to be with his love. No one thought much about it. Not till the Twyls were starting to go missing or be severely injured. So Aaravos was locked away, and you and your sister were sent away to be safe.

"I was sent to watch over you guys. We were friends in Twyl. I go back every night to replenish. Things were okay. Your parents miss you, but are content to hear my reports. But Aaravos escaped, and somehow he was able to corrupt Runaan and the militia." 

Lloyd crossed into the next village with ease. It was the same as the one he'd called home for so long. Nevertheless, his heart raced at the idea of Kenzie being part of some psycho's sick games.

"Kenzie took on her Twyl form early on as a Startouch. We all grow into one, eventually. You grew into it later than your sis did, but better late than never. Plus, Aaravos doesn't know you're a cosmic wolf yet, so it all works out. Anyways, since Startouch Twyls are rare is basically guaranteed he won't do anything. Plus they were pretty close before he was corrupted. We think he's still in there. Maybe that's all we need..."

If he trusted her before, he'll have to do so now. So Lloyd asked about his sword, and about what he was supposed to do.

"That sword is made of cosmic magic, made by the combined effort of Aaravos, Sunfire Twyls, and your grandfather. In fact I think it was Runaan's love, the Royal Tinker, that aided in its forging. But as far as fixing the realms... I'm not entirely sure..." She wandered off, looking for any other Twyls around the village.

And what's your Twyl form, Lloyd wondered, taking in the cool breeze.

"M-me? I'm... a Moonshadow Twyl... like Runaan. I'm one of the few that didn't join the militia. Lucky you..."

"Hello? Is someone there? P-please!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Odd. I know I was looking, but I didn't actually expect to come across any Twyls," Delilah thought aloud as she brisked towards the male voice.

Lloyd followed, eyeing the winding streams that networked the cliff. The face reflected back towards him was like a wolf with shimmering blue fur and yellow eyes replacing his green ones. He almost wished his eyes stayed the same. They were almost the same as Kenzie's, and it wouldn't hurt to be able to look at something familiar. But as all things tonight, Lloyd couldn't be lucky.

"W-what's going on? Where... where am I?" the voice called. It belonged to a man of obviously immense strength, though he sounded to be little over Lloyd's age. Or what he thought was his age. At this point anything goes. The man cowered away from Delilah's soft touch, but when she finally placed her marked palm on his broad shoulder, he eased into comfort, and he went from specter to human.

The man-Twyl stretched and shook out his raven tendrils. Years of hard labor flexed under and scarred his honeyed skin. "So what are you supposed to be? A ghost?" he asked, eyeing Delilah disdainfully.

"I'm a Moonshadow Twyl, one that can read minds, Cole Brookstone. Right now the fabric between my reality and yours is... not what it should be," the shadow-girl explained. "So you've crossed into the Twilight Realm. As the name suggests, it's colder and darker and not as kind as your realm. But there's plenty of reasons to love it," she added.

And Lloyd understood. The more time he spent in the Twilight Realm the more he appreciated the richness and depth of the shadows, the brilliant glow of the stars. They were the same stars he'd stare up at hundreds of times, but clearer, more defined and brilliant. He hoped that Kenzie would be able to see it. She loves stars, and maybe that's why it didn't surprise him to hear she was that Star-Twyl thing Delilah mentioned before, even if he didn't know what it meant. But he understood it was special, and that is exactly what he'd call his sister.

"We'll get her back, Lloyd," the Twyl promised.

"Come again?"

"Ah, right," Delilah stammered, gesturing towards Lloyd. "This is Lloyd Garmadon, and he's from Twyl, which is why he took on his Twyl form when our realities mixed up. His twin sister was kidnapped by the same man who caused all this. The plan is to-"

"-To rescue her and restore balance," Cole finished.

"Yeah... So keep your eyes out for a blonde with green eyes. Now, Kenzie is a Startouch, Cosmic Twyl, so some of her defining features will be a set of horns and star-like freckles. The Startouch Twyls are the rarest of all, so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Wait, so if YOU'RE a Twyl, and SHE'S a Twyl, and HE'S a Twyl, and I'M a Twyl..." Cole began. Delilah nodded expectantly. "...Then why the quiznak do we all look different?!"

Lloyd nodded, inching closer to the giant. Delilah had thrown around a lot of fancy words, but he was still so very confused. And why is Delilah the only Twyl I know that puts my hair on end? Delilah chuckled.

"Cole, you possess Twyl energy, and it's more than likely you'll take on an Earthblood Twyl form. I wouldn't be surprised if you became a Stone Earthblood based on your experience mining. Lloyd here is a Cosmic Twyl. His family is full of Cosmic Twyls, but there are different kinds. His mother and uncle are two kinds of Time Cosmics. His sister is a Startouch. He's a Form Cosmic, and his form is that of a wolf. He only just came into his Twyl form, so we'll see what else he can do."

"So it's like kinds of animals?" And that's what Lloyd was understanding, too.

"Yes. Genes affect it, but so does experience, and at the end of the day it's your inner self that reveals at a key point in your life. It's different for everyone. But it's your Twyl energy that has you here with us, and not like them," Delilah said, jerking a thumb towards the light spheres floating sadly around the village. "I don't know exactly what's going on, or what's needed to fix our worlds, but having as much help as possible will be nice."

Cole locked eyes with the shadow. It was clear Delilah's talent with mind reading, so Lloyd assumed a mental conversation took place.

The fur covering his body prickled unlike anytime before. The growing sound of light rumbling tantalized his ears, forcing them to instinctively perk up towards the sound. It was a group running lightly in the area. His body stiffened, sniffing the air and growling as he immediately thought: MOONSHADOW ASSASSINS MOONSHADOW ASSASSINS MOONSHADOW ASSASSINS.

The purple marks along Delilah's shadowy figure lit up as she took a fighting stance. Cole picked up on it and got into position as well. If it's a fight they want, Lloyd was gonna tear these monsters apart.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~... Delilah," a voice incapable of fitting any description other than creepy called out. "Lord Aaravos requests your presence, Twilight Princess..." The voice kept calling, the noble accent drifting from sing-song to dark and foreboding.

Cole and Lloyd simultaneously look towards the so-called 'Twilight Princess', who quickly disappeared altogether. She'd gone completely invisible, wrapping herself in Moonshadow Twyl energy. The boys followed her example, hiding where they could.

"Queen of the Moonshadow Twyls. You reek of fear," another, younger, female voice boasted. She followed closely beside the first Twyl, her movements just like his. They, unlike their Moonshadow comrades that Lloyd could just feel, or the drastically different creatures joining them, didn't hide, didn't wrap themselves deeper into the Twilight Realm. And from his position Lloyd slowly came to the realization that he recognized them. The other, fiery Twyls hadn't been there, but the two leading the pack were present when Aaravos stole away his sister. They'd been fighting Delilah.

"Lord Aaravos promised that if you and the prince come quietly, no harm will come to you or your families," the first one said. "And he NEVER lies."

"Consider it a mercy," the girl chimed in. "He knows we'd kill ya after what you did to Tink." She sniffed the air, revelling with pleasure in the night. "There's three, all reeking of fear. I thought the royals were the only Twyls in Ninjago, Runaan."

"The energy of our realm goes as it pleases, Rayla. Our realities, like our stars, intertwine. But there's bound to be more," the one named Runaan pondered. "Janai!" A Twyl woman clad in knight's armor with golden markings on her face straightened. "Lord Aaravos will want to hear about this... for his... studies..."

The woman and two others ran off. Lloyd heaved a sigh of relief.

An arrow narrowly missed his head, grazing his ear. The warmth of blood oozed through his fur, along with something else. 

He launched towards Runaan, jaw aimed for the man's throat. The Twyl swiftly notched and loosed another poisonous arrow, the tip scratching Lloyd's unguarded underbelly as he twisted in evasion, aided by something...

For a brief second, Lloyd locked eyes with Delilah, her violet eyes and markings glowing before she vanished from sight again.

Sight... Numbing tingles spread from his ear and belly towards his snout. Dark spots and purple pin pricks were beginning to burn away his sight. He fought against it, though, ripping and clawing at whoever necessary.

If Kenzie died, he died. If Kenzie lived... He'd be damned if he didn't fight.

But breathing became a chore, and his vision blurred away as the poison took over. He might've killed some of those Moonshadows who dared piss him off, because of course he'd take a few with him if he couldn't have his way.

Runaan, bruised and battered, stood over him victoriously. "Haven't met one quite like you in a while. Not so mindless. Determined. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're our Cosmic Prince Garmadon..."

Those black and gold eyes of his were the last thing Lloyd could process...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to warn y'all that this chapter does include what could be considered a graphic transformation. It's not really bad, and it's brief, but it's there. You've been warned.
> 
> Also! If you're curious about my writing process and how crazy I get while typing these out, feel free to check the Google Docs version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IzzKTJc_iCmgdfO1lol_m-tDPQLt_kYXMY4lqHf--0g/edit?usp=sharing
> 
> It includes commentary from my friends and I, plus the formatting and color-coding feel a lot easier to read in my opinion. Happy reading!

Most terrifying of all is Delilah's ability to be right. The Twilight Realm was a lot crueler than Ninjago.

When he woke again, Lloyd felt so drained. So sore. Not himself but himself in a vessel not his. And to a certain degree, such a thought was accurate. Tonight has been, and continues to be, a nightmare, one he wished he could escape from. Climb into Kenzie's bunk like he did when they first arrived in Jamonikai, and fall asleep to her deathly beautiful voice.

The cell was his alone. Brick on three sides and iron bars forming the front. A loose pile of hay lay beneath him in a corner, and the rest of the floor was compact dirt, or whatever of that exists in the Twilight Realm.

"Yeah... Nightmare suits the situation. Fighting against your childhood friends isn't the ideal." Delilah materialized in a faint shadow on the floor, and Lloyd vaguely noticed the cell was lit. Not too important, but supposing Delilah is a Twyl of shadow... "I'd rather not waste my energy on fully materializing in the light. Leaves a lot more room to do things like this!" she exclaimed, forming and throwing a silverish purple ball towards Lloyd's paw. That ball of magical Twyl energy shattered the steel chain attached to both Lloyd's paw and a weighted ball.

Lloyd looked on in awe. Not a scratch. But he did notice a triangular marking on his foot, glowing almost unquantifiably. "So you have one, too..." Delilah thought aloud. She held out her hand, faced downward. Sure enough, the same triad formation, invisibly glowing, was on her hand. "I noticed it after the Twilight Realm bled into your realm."

Her tone seemed gloomy, and Lloyd realised for the first time that although he'd thought of her as different from anyone in Jamonikai, he'd never placed her as someone from a realm like this. To him, she'd always belonged in Jamonikai.

She perked up, reminding him she could read minds. Her shadow traveled to the other side of the bars where there was plenty of shade. Her physical form returned with a playful smile. "There's someone I want you to meet. But first, you get out here and find Cole. Then I'll bring you both to her." She leaned against the wall, hands behind her horned head in eased relaxation, as if nothing was wrong. To prove a point, she yawned.

Impatient and a little peeved, Lloyd took in his bleak surroundings once more. Nothing he hasn't noticed before. He began to wonder how much being a 'cosmic wolf' entitled him to. A small voice in his head suggested he stop thinking like a man and start trying to take on his Twyl form.

He looked to the steel bars. That was the way, but he wouldn't be able to squeeze through, and ramming the door seemed like the kind of decision his sister would scold him for. But that mysterious black dirt seemed like fair game.

He dug through, the muscles in his arms and back working in ways he wasn't used to. But he did make it to the other side, and that's what matters. He shook himself off to the cadence of Delilah's laughter. It bounced lightly around the halls like a song, and he realised he's heard it before. He'd thought it belonged to Kenzie.

While he pondered this Delilah took the opportunity to climb onto his back, resting there proudly. She playfully flicked his ears with sparks of magic, much to his irritation. "I don't think you're so bad yourself, Cosmic." Lloyd grunted and took some steps forward.

"Hey! Hey, what about me?" Cole was just down the way, near a small tunnel opening. It was gated, but possibly big enough to crawl through.

Delilah floated to the floor, dragging her toes along the dirt in strange symbols. When it was finished, it began to glow, and mirrored below Cole's feet. He quickly dissolved into dark particles, coming back into form in front of the fated pair. Lloyd wondered why the same couldn't have been done for him.

"I'm in a good mood right now. Plus, I think that while we're here we should see what you're capable of. Anyways, we should get moving. I know the way. Cole, would you do the honors?" she added, gesturing towards the gate.

The half-Twyl nodded with a mischievous grin. He wrapped his fists around the metal rods, and in one nearly effortless motion, the gate was no obstacle. They crawled through until the tunnel's ceiling lifted just enough to walk. Delilah returned to her new spot on Lloyd's back, not so into not floating nor dragging and consequently scraping her precious horns.

As they traveled, more of those spirit-lights floated around sparingly. And if Lloyd really focused, their cowering forms could faintly be seen.

"I see you're honing your skills already. Keep it up. Kenzie will be proud," Delilah whispered against his ear.

As they strolled, it was made clear that this was the water system. Cruising around the area were a few small, shadowy figures. Cole, eager to show off his strength, handled the hostiles quite easily. He looked to Delilah with a pleased expression every time, his stone-colored eyes glinting with pride. And Delilah was very encouraging, offering kind words, some 'oohs' and 'aahs', and even discussing how, of the few Gem/Mineral Earthbloods she'd known, all of them were very strong. They'd even occasionally challenge each other in good nature. They were events, sporty displays of power in entertainment.

Sadly, many Twyls had ran from the Castle City when people began going missing due to Aaravos' crazed schemes.

The shadow-girl gently smoothed the fur on Lloyd's ears. "I know you can do it. You were a brave warrior in every land you've changed. Now that you've taken your Twyl form, your body is different. I won't deny that. But my experience says that'll only make you stronger. Your instincts haven't changed. I know it," she declared pointedly, but softly, in the kind of voice Kenzie sometimes used on him when he was too tired to help the villagers. "So, next one I want you to try."

And so he did. Slashing and tearing the gooey shadows was pretty effective, and Lloyd saw he and Cole made a pretty good team, and hanging out with Delilah is turning out pretty cool, and no wonder Kenzie spent so much time around the supposed medicine man's daughter.

Until she floated behind some important-looking bars and demanded- playfully, but still- that the boys work together to get to her. It was that direction they'd find her, anyways. Cole and Lloyd locked eyes; Delilah rolled hers.

They scoured the location, wading through the underground rivers that were only lit by the spirit lights of the fearful soldiers.

Cole was the one who spotted a small tunnel, calling out to Lloyd and diving in. It was only a small detour before they met up with their guide, who lead the way towards a spiral staircase. It was a simple structure, but Lloyd found himself in awe of the grandeur as they ascended.

"These stairs aren't structurally sound..." Cole whispered as if in a trance.

"I think you're right," Delilah replied encouragingly. But her face didn't match her tone, and in a few moments Lloyd knew why. His fur prickled and his scent- Cole's, deep and earthy- shifted. His brain fired off: EARTHBLOOD EARTHBLOOD EARTHBLOOD in an irritating ring, just as Cole collapsed.

The stone structure crumbled and dropped some thirty feet below them, nearly taking the pain-struck Cole along for the ride, had it not been for Delilah and Lloyd's combined strength.

"Thanks," the muscle man groaned. Said muscles rippled and expanded, taking the giant of the man and painfully growing him into something that- had it not been for the fact that Lloyd was familiar with the guy- he'd be internally intimidated, especially in his current form.

Along with the growth spurt came golden markings along his body. Naturally, Lloyd's canine eyes wandered to his caramel hand in search for the geometric design which tattooed Delilah and his own forms. But to his surprise, Cole did not come into such a marking. So it's selective...

Cole let out a guttural scream, interrupting Lloyd's observations. The man grabbed his skull as Lloyd experienced minor sympathy pains. Delilah hissed as well when the horns came in, bringing with it one more detail: that black hair of his- midnight and glossy- had touches of gold now.

And all Lloyd could do was watch. But not Delilah. No, once the horns extended to their full growth, she placed a shadowy hand on Cole's sweat-drenched cheek, his tear-streaked cheek, and hushed him, her markings glowing as she concentrated. His screams and sobs gradually simmered down into moans and whimpering, then silenced altogether as he clutched their female companion.

He slowly nodded to no question, standing in his new form, tired, but indubitably proud. He even smiled. And Lloyd felt proud for him, would even give him a thumbs up if he could. And Delilah glanced at him before offering the gesture herself.

Cole's tackling hug was pretty awesome, as was the ground-shaking stomp he informed. You know, until it sent portions of the stairs toppling down.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, time to be a hero," the new Earthblood proclaimed, cracking the knuckles in his beefy fists and neck. He skillfully scaled the neat brick walls to the next ledge, a certain light in his eyes as he tested out his new skillset.

Lloyd and Delilah watched in awe as his hands crystallized, the golden light reflecting on the wall and ledges. Where light was cast in this dreary world, rock formations grew in, creating a walkable- if haphazard- walkway. Applauding, Delilah mounted her cosmic pup and together the three Twyls ascended the tower in this repeated fashion, and neither of them ever got tired of it.

Yellow-and-black eyed moon phoenixes- as Delilah called them- were waiting for them at the top floor. The boys prepared to fight, but Delilah waved them off, instead drawing another of her rune-like patterns and gesturing for them to follow quietly. The moon phoenixes were well distracted.

“That was so cool!” Cole exclaimed, scooping the tiny Twyl up endearingly.

“Moonshadow Twyls can sometimes cast illusions, depending on their nature,” she explained, drifting out of Cole’s mighty grip. “I guess I owe you guys a little explanation... When I grew into a Twyl, I kinda took on... a lot of their abilities. I was supposed to lead the Moonshadow Twyls when I got older, but as you’ve seen, they follow Runaan, and he follows Aaravos.”

Lloyd let out a bark. Cole looked over, considering. “So you’re not a tele-Twyl?”

“I mean, that’s my strongest ability, yeah...”

“Do you know anyone else who can do a lot?”

“Royals tend to do that. Technically... Well, Startouches are one in a million, so Aaravos is king of, like, no one. But he’s respected- sorta... Look, guys, I don’t have all the answers, but if you’d follow me, I can get you some,” she answered, exasperated.

The boys eyed each other warily, but obeyed. The rooftops of this castle were centuries old, and the sky was full of moon phoenixes, all agitated; Delilah’s illusions and Cole’s ability to create safe passage proved useful in this hour. Truth be told, Lloyd had been exhausted and hungry from a day’s work before this whole ‘Realm Bleeding’ mess started, and he hadn’t gotten anything to make up for it since, so he was glad all he had to do was walk to the tower Delilah indicated using a complex spell Kenzie had invented for the two of them to meet. And due to its nature and the illusion Delilah had created, any prior-known hostiles within a mile had let the crew slip by unnoticed.

“So how do you just ‘invent’ a spell?” Cole asked three quarters the way after growing comfortable with his skill.

“That’s an excellent question,” Delilah answered, briefly mimicking Lloyd’s thoughts. “Startouch Cosmic Twyls are known for mimicking certain skills of other Twyls, especially other Cosmic Twyls. Namely seeing into the past or future, both existing in the Garmadon family; other abilities include their extensive knowledge, and... that’s all I remember. There’s not so much on them since there hasn’t been that many of them.

“But one thing we in the Twilight Realm know is that currently there’s only two Startouch, one who’s been around since prior to the formation of the Twilight Kingdom and, of course, Lloyd’s twin sister.

“Kenzie as a child- before becoming a Startouch- was born with a cripple in her left arm and leg, so while Lloyd was outside playing and training, she was inside all the time. And much of that time was spent in bed. I’d only met her a few times per her uncle’s request, and I didn’t quite understand at the time what her deal was, so I trained a lot, too.

“Anyways, the only Startouch in the known world decides he no longer wishes to live in a land of no people, and moves into the castle-” wait we lived in a CASTLE?? “-Yes, you and your sister are the royal twins. Now, he’s already an old family friend. As I mentioned before he worked with Lloyd’s grandfather, who established their kingdom. The whole kingdom system, actually. So he goes around the castle to look for books to read, and spots Kenzie alone in the library. He said she looked sad.”

“I’d be sad, too, if I couldn’t play,” Cole asserted.

“Well, yeah, but she smiled when she knew she was being watched. She didn’t want to be a burden. So Aaravos takes her under his wing and starts telling her about the world and even showing her through illusions and mimicking, as Startouch can do. When the Queen saw how much he’d helped, she held an official ceremony to make him her godfather. Kenzie was so happy she turned into a Startouch immediately.

“And I say all this as a means to explain that, because they’re close and he’s an archmage and manipulator of all elements, he taught her all she knew about magic. So when she and I started becoming friends, we needed a way to locate each other across the Castle City.

“She spent weeks developing a spell combining Moon illusion magic with Sun and Star light magics into a beacon. She perfected it, and then showed everyone who frequented the castle because it’s useful and not so hard to use once you’ve got the hang of it.”

“Of course, the first thing I hear you say is bragging about my daughter,” a voice said rather teasingly. They’d reached the tower, the three clamoring through the open window into a bedroom.

“Your Majesty,” Delilah curtsied as soon as she could, throwing a mischievous grin towards... she looks so familiar, and Lloyd recalls immediately that these features belong to his sister, except Kenzie’s hair is blond not brunette nor greying. The exact colors also seem to copy Delilah’s human form.

But it didn’t quite click that this was his mother, the Queen of Twyl - or do they call it Twilight Kingdom? - until she smiles with nostalgic tears in her eyes and says, “You look so much like your father...”

Lloyd looked down at himself. Still a dog. “Garmadon was also a Cosmic Wolf and powerful warrior. He was so excited to be a father... I’m sure he’d be proud. Of you, and Kenzie... who I’m not seeing,” the woman observed. “Where’s your sister?”

“Er, sorry, Misako, but since Lloyd just got his Twyl form within the last day, he doesn’t have his whole set yet. I’ll speak for him, though.”

“Thank you, Delilah. You continue to serve me well.”

“When Aaravos and the militia broke out, they punched a hole into Ninjago. The realms are bleeding, but right now we’re more concerned that they took Kenzie. They were gonna take me but failed... twice... But they did get Lloyd, which ended up being a good thing because he doesn’t remember Twyl and I really think seeing you helps.”

Misako’s red lips were drawn in a grim line as she continued to stroke Lloyd’s shimmering blue fur. “So my prophecy proved right yet again...”

“Unfortunately.”

“Well then. You’ll need to go back to Jamonikai Village. There’s a pool there, home to an ancient Light Guardian. There’s quite a few of them which stitch our realms together. At the pool you will receive a vessel of light. Take as many Twyls as you can, and restore balance.” The Queen’s words were becoming rushed and desperate as she tearfully gazed at a clock on her bedside. “The guards will be coming soon. You need to go. I’m sorry, Baby. Take this.” She straps a saddlebag onto him, seemingly filled. “It belonged to your father when he was your age.

“Go find your sister and the spirit. If Twyl bleeds too much it’ll die and take Ninjago with it, and the hole in time-space will split at the seams. You mustn’t,” she winced, fighting tears. She couldn’t though, and kissed Lloyd between the eyes before sending them off the direction they came.


	7. Chapter 7

When one is affected by severe retro amnesia, it is rarely expected that the afflicted person misses what they don’t remember. Not as in wishing they remembered their past, but as in missing the exact people and places and things they cannot recall which shaped their lives.

But this is exactly how Lloyd felt as he fled that tower and into another where the vicious moon phoenixes couldn’t follow. Tears matted the fur on either side of his snout.

Cole, who’d been silent for a while now, took this opportunity to be a little more mature. “This whole thing beats...”

“Shut up, Brookstone!”

“Somebody had to say it!”

“No, no one had to say it, because everyone already knows, dummie.”

They continued fighting like an old married couple. All Lloyd wanted, though, was to go home. Delilah suddenly stopped, dropping to her knees in front of him. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. You’re right, going back to Jamonikai is important. Let’s go,” she smiled, snapping.

The sensation of dematerializing was disorienting as they swiftly twisted through the cosmos. But that trip also melted into his fur. Cosmos. Cosmic. Go figure.

When it was over Lloyd felt a little unsteady, but filled with relief. He recognized these clearings, these stone-walled paths. He ran through the village, taking in the twilight familiarity before he remembered his mother’s words. The lake spirit!

Kenzie had always loved the lake. During the summer she always forced him to join her and Delilah there instead of working all day. They’d splash the water. And it felt like nothing else in Jamonikai. It felt magical and light and full of life.

He splashed, revelling in the memory. As he did, he noticed a few shadow monsters seeping in, desecrating Kenzie’s Lake. Growling, Lloyd launched his furry self in a spin kick, using his tail like a bat. It worked well enough, and relief flooded him despite the circumstances.

“Thank you,” an angelic voice whispered into the wind. Lloyd felt the urge to say thank you, though he knew he couldn’t... yet, so Delilah claimed... “You’re transformed by the Twyl energy coursing through your blood... Caution, brave youth! A tainted one approaches!” it warned, just as a portal - much like the one Delilah had recently created, only networked by a menacing red instead of a silver-purple - darkened the twilight sky.

The sickly black bubbling squished together into one form: Rayla. She looked all wrong, with those crazed yellow-and-black eyes aimed right at him.

Delilah had mentioned it was difficult to fight friends. And she’d mentioned Runaan being around, and he and Rayla were close so it’s natural to assume Rayla was corrupted like all the rest and was actually Delilah’s friend, possibly even mine. Speaking of, where is she...?

Now, in his new form, thoughts like these were instantaneous, all-at-once emotions that made little sense. But he couldn’t hurt Rayla, just decapacitate her.

Shadowy, flickering in the flowing waters of the spring, Rayla looked absolutely the part of the MOONSHADOW ASSASSIN warning in his head. But there was something else he sensed. Could it be sadness? Fear? Confusion? Lloyd dodged her first several attacks as he focused his Twyl sense. He saw two entities, one hiding behind the other, the one at the forefront crazed and hostile.

“Quit cowering and fight me!” Rayla screeched as yet again her dual blades hit nothing but water.

Hoping Delilah could still hear him, he lunged, batting his tail. No blood must be drawn. But it was hard when her current state didn’t share these morals. Luckily - and this is the only luck he’s had thus far - her blades weren’t coated with poison like Runaan’s arrows had been, so the nicks she kept landing did little to her advantage.

“You reek of fear,” she said again. “Fear and desperation. I can’t kill ya, if it puts you at ease.” As if anything could. “But I will fight you. It’d be easier if you obey, but where’s the fun in that?”

A few more good hits and she didn’t get up, though Lloyd was good enough to know she was still alive and well. His preference was for Rayla to stay so Delilah could analyze and possibly cleanse - no, excorsize her - of the evil entity. But as luck would have it, the other two Twyls wouldn’t arrive until the last of the attacker’s form was sucked into the portal. But at least it wasn’t for nothing; it seems the two had found Lloyd’s sword and a halfway decent shield, along with some supplies they must’ve raided the town for.

“Sorry, we thought the sword would help,” Delilah explained mournfully.

“It took too long to find,” Cole added, slumping his shoulders. “You know I would’ve loved a rematch with that-”

“-Thank you again, Brave Warrior,” the angelic voice interrupted. “I am the Guardian Spirit of this spring and its town. I am Flame, a spirit dragon chosen by the gods of our worlds to keep the light in Ninjago, and seal the Twyl Energy in the Twilight Realm. My brothers do the same to the other villages of your kingdom. We are but four pillars holding the balance of the realms. Should one fall...”

“The rest will go down with ‘em,” Cole finished.

“Precisely, new Twyl,” Flame confirmed peacefully, despite his rough voice. It almost sounded like the dragon spirit was speaking through a charred, smoke-coated windpipe. “I was not as gravely damaged as my brothers, for in their escape one of the Corrupted dropped my Flaming Light. It is scattered nearby... I can feel it... But I am unable to leave my post. Please, youthful ones, retrieve my Flaming Light. With it, I can bring Jamonikai back. Your village will no longer be soaked in the blood of the Twilight Realm.”

Lloyd took a deep breath and nodded. It wouldn’t be the first time he needed to go on a quest, or a side-quest for that matter. He could handle this. In the end he’d be in Kenzie’s arms again.

“Thank you, Brave One. Take this. It is a Vessel of Light, designed by the Sunfire Twyls to contain the powerful Light Energy. Bring me back my fire,” the spirit begged. Into Delilah’s hands appeared a golden pouch embroidered with various runes. But very clearly was patched the image of fire, with some odd markings below.

“Aww! It says ‘Flame, Guardian Spirit of Jamonikai’!” Delilah coddled. Cole coughed ‘nerd’ into his elbow. Lloyd rolled his eyes at the two, quickly bowing to the spirit and hoisting Delilah onto his back.

It didn’t take much sniffing about before finding the first Flaming Light. “Don’t touch!” Delilah snapped, scooping it with the pouch instead. “The runes are Sunforge bindings. Usually you see them on a Sunforge Blade, which remains as hot as the moment it’s forged, for centuries. Which means this isn’t for anyone to touch.” Good thinking... “Thank you. We sometimes practiced with them, under Runaan and your uncle’s supervision.”

Lloyd nodded briskly and continued following the spicy, smokey scent of the Flaming Light. Delilah gathered any straggling bits of swirly orange light, but most of it was piled by the bridge. Lloyd wondered how he missed it the first run through.

But that’s okay, because they’re handling it now and things were going pretty smoothly, and he was gonna see Kenzie soon. Sure, it took a few extra moments to coral the lights with the vessel, but hey, it worked!

“You’re optimistic,” the shadow girl snickered against his ear. Then she flicked it with little sparks of magic as she’d done before in the castle.

Despite all the tunes she’d hum in that sad-sounding voice, Kenzie had always been so optimistic. And Lloyd missed her so much - painfully so - that he decided in the cosmic-wolf-thought-feeling way that what he should do is try to be optimistic as well.

“And you should.” Flame hummed. “You’ve restored order and balance in the Realm of the Living, the Realm of Light, the Realm of Ninjago. Thank you. Thank you!” he cried as he took the form of a dragon made of light, clutching the Vessel to his chest. “By now my brothers know you’ve helped me. They’re in the next three villages. The task may at times prove difficult, but you have our faith.

“One more thing!” Flame rattled as the trio turned towards the exit. “I know who you are! You are Lloyd, Son of Garmadon, Fallen King of the Twilight Realm. You have the same warrior spirit, which is why your Twyl Energy manifested as a wolf when you most needed it. And now your gi is woven of the same fabric, ‘tis the same gi your father wore into battle. You have been chosen.” When Flame finished his speech, Lloyd looked down at his hands, his clothes. Sure enough, he was human. Mostly. The face reflected from the crystalline pool showed hair, blonde but still shimmering with the same tenacity as his fur had - it shown with the light and depth of the cosmos. And his eyes, though green, swirled with stars. He thought he’d never looked better. “This is your Twyl self when not transformed. I do hope you like it.”

“I love it...” he gasped, tears forming in his eyes. “Thank you!” He joyfully waded through the bright pool and reached out to Flame. The dragon’s tail was silky and had an odd warmth to it. Light.

“Wow, buddy! You rock those new threads!” Cole exclaimed, lifting Lloyd up in a crushing bear hug.

Flame chuckled, pleased with himself. He then roared an almost white burst of flame into the sky, and as this light covered the sky, the Twyl energy burnt out of Jamonikai Village, and it was beautiful. “Go, boy. Onwards!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case y'all haven't noticed yet, this story includes fighting! Again, not toooooooo graphic, but you've been warned now. Enjoy, lovelies!

"Awwwwww yeah! We going home, baby!” Cole cheered, pumping a fist. “Look, guys, I know you were there shortly, but lemme tell ya: Oppenheimer is great! It was founded by this musical family on the tallest mountains in Ninjago!”

“You’re pretty excited for someone who dislikes home,” Delilah said calmly from nearby, yet she couldn’t be seen. In fact, Cole even looked normal, so... “Right here.”

She jumped out of Lloyd’s shadow, and slowly, manifested her human illusion.

“Wow,” Cole whispered. He shook it off. “Um, well, when my mom died, all my dad wanted to do was sing and dance... He wanted me to do the same, but these days I stay out of the house and do busy work, mostly in the mines. I also climb the mountain every day,” he added pointedly. “But Oppenheimer is the best. I feel I’m always going on adventures, even though I don’t leave the village.”

“Cool,” Lloyd replied as they approached the shadow curtain. Delilah squealed and dived in, using some form of her power to reach out with a large magic hand to yank the boys in. “Warn us ne-” aaaaaand he morphed. It seems they all did. It didn’t hurt as badly, though. But he couldn’t speak... yet...

“Let’s get crackin’!” Delilah declared, hopping onto Lloyd’s back with another flick to his ears. He was starting to like it, though he’d never admit it aloud. But think-feeling it was enough for Delilah to wrap her all but invisible arms around his neck. It wasn’t unwelcomed.

“H...he...elp...” a gravelly voice whimpered.

“Rocky?” Cole asked in confusion.

“What?” It wasn’t like Delilah to ask questions.

“Er, there’s this, uh, cave drawing of a dragon we call Rocky. My mom used to make up bedtime stories about him. They made me less afraid,” Cole explained bashfully.

“He...lp me,” the voice begged again. “Ple...ase...”

Lloyd wasted no further time, his burst of speed bucking the shadow girl on his back occasionally. He didn’t even see the gigantic rocks until he came nose to nose with one, so to speak. They were surrounded by the boulders, penned in. The fur prickled on Lloyd’s neck. SUNFIRE KNIGHTS blared through his skull as something else fell from the portal above. Among the crowd of yellow-and-black eyed Twyls, Lloyd only recognized one:

Janai. The most decorated one. Quiznak.

If Cole noticed, he definitely didn’t care. The man-Twyl leapt into action, easily taking on five hostiles. The invisible Twyl nudged Lloyd’s ribs with her thighs.

“You need to get them all at once, or else any remaining ones will use a spell to wake them. That’s how we fight, Lloyd. Don’t give me that look. I can help,” Delilah sighed. “I’ll make a targeting ring, just make sure it touches them all.”

Lloyd nodded, dodging a blade. Or at least it looked like one. It resembled one before being chilled in water. That must be a Sunforge Blade. Glancing towards where Janai landed her blow, the grass was completely charred. Definitely a Sunforge Blade.

Delilah tugged on his fur. Regarding that as a signal, Lloyd began weaving through the small army of yellow-and-black eyed creatures, seeing in his peripherals the void-like ring surrounding him. Janai and her team fought against the Twyl Energy binding them in place, to no avail. Another tug on his fur, and Lloyd launched at hyperspeed. He could feel his movements more fluid and enhanced, but the force of impact would leave a mark for sure. Careful, but he still hoped he hadn’t killed anyone. It wasn’t their fault.

Janai arose as the last Sunfire Knight was knocked out, her golden markings glowing in what is definitely an aggro. Panicked, the wolf ran past his Earthblood companion and bit hard on her shoulder. She screamed as black blood and aggro left her dematerializing body. I’m so sorry...

“C’mon, guys, Rocky’s waiting!” Cole shouted from a ways. The wolf’s paws carried Lloyd towards the spring. His mouth tasted like blood.


	9. Chapter 9

"Brave Ones. Please... Please... Bring back the light of... Earthly Life... Shadows...” the spirit gasped. He was practically choking. With another gasp and grunt, a light shimmered and shot into Cole’s hands.

“Hey, they’re nearby!” the brute announced. “Don’t worry, buddy, we’ll get your light back.”

“They’re invisible!” the spirit roared, causing the earth to rumble. “Shadows... conceal...”

Delilah floated up behind the other Twyl’s giant form. Two practically dwarfed hands massaged his shoulders before gently turning him around. She then swooped back and collected Rocky’s Vessel.

Lloyd quickly followed behind, but didn’t get far enough away when Rocky spoke again. “You are... the reincarnation... of his powers...”

The wolf scampered off towards his friends, trying to clear his head. Reincarnation of who’s powers? And why their power? And how is that important right now? And then his thoughts returned to Rayla. How afraid her true self looked, how hurt. He wondered if that’s how Kenzie was feeling. It’s hard to tell in this realm but he supposed it’s been a few days, and his sister wasn’t a heavy sleeper, so surely she’s awake. And if she is, if she hasn’t been noticed yet, she must be plotting escape. Has she seen the monster of a man, the Twyl who called himself her godfather, Aaravos? Does she recognize him? Remember him? See something’s wrong?

“She’s... running...” Delilah murmured, trance-like. “It’s dark... cold... lungs are burning...” She started gasping, dismounting Lloyd and leaning against the mountain for support. Cole gently massaged her back. “Kenzie, she’s lost... and scared. She-... she doesn’t recognize our realm and can’t figure out her powers.”

She tore herself out of Kenzie’s head, twisting to slide her back down the stone wall. “No... He took her someplace else... Somewhere... somewhere she’s never been. She’s mapping it.”

Cole and Lloyd took positions on either side of the Twilight Princess. He laid his head in her lap, but Lloyd had to ask: why is Kenzie making a map right now?

“It’s something she can do. It takes time, and she’s in... frenzy? Frenzy. And she doesn’t know her location in connection to other places she has- she’s carrying something... Look-...ing for... Lloyd... Find... Find. Find... stars. Map. Stars. Find. Library- left- map- map- stars- trace- map- Aara- dark- Dark- Magic- no- map- scared- No- stars- Dark Magic- stars- map- Aara- Dark- stars- map- Aara- stars- DARK AARAVOS!” Delilah screamed, collapsing against Cole, breathing heavily. “Dark... He got to her,” she sobbed, wiping at her face.

Cole tried to reassure and calm her, spouting encouragement.

Lloyd’s heart raced. Kenzie has to be okay! The wolf stood and charged forward towards the unknown. He, of course, could hear the voices of his companions as they shouted, trying to keep up. He, of course, doesn’t care.

He remembered when he and Kenzie first showed up in Jamonikai, how, for weeks, he wouldn’t let go of her hand. Folks in town didn’t get it. Lloyd adored his sister; he’d do anything for her, as she would for him. He didn’t want anyone to freak out because he couldn’t remember that world, so he latched onto the only person he was comfortable with.

He remembered the conversation they had that one night. “I don’t like it here. It’s not home.”

“And what’s home, then?”

“I... This place is too... sunny.”

“Delilah says that’s normal here, not that I like it much, either.”

Come to think of it, he should’ve known all along that something was up. They hated the mornings, but that’s when folks wanted to get work done. Kenzie’s obsession - moreso than his own, mind you - with the stars. How she’d teach the village kids about the night sky or work with Delilah to make medicines. She was happiest then, more herself. And Lloyd liked fighting and wrangling cattle, warding off bandits...

All along, we were just living in a world not our own...

There was a temple in the mountains, puffs of haze winding up the path and gathered around at the front. Lloyd squinted in an attempt to ‘hone’ his skills as Delilah had told him. What he saw was horrifying.

An army of death controlled the place. These weren’t the lights of Ninjagians forced into the Twilight Realm. No, these were reanimated Twyls, some just bones and ligaments clad in armor, others just barely decaying. Lloyd watched as they wandered the pitstop, a chunk of flesh falling off one and landing sickeningly on the earth.

Lloyd relaxed his eyes, shaking away the strain. Tried again. The ones by the temple were rowdy. Something’s there, possibly important, maybe even useful.

Relaxing his eyes again, Lloyd noticed that something is visible without his skill, and there was even a slight throb. A Twyl.

He ran through the fog of death towards the temple in the mountain, still hearing as the shouting picked up and drifted off. Picked up again as he reached the Twyl, cowering on an empty totem.

The boy was shocked when the corpses broke apart, and the wolf was shocked to see some of them carried greenish lights. On his saddle, Rocky’s Vessel was already comfortably strapped, but without proper hands... He nudged the frightened Twyl, who was still wide-eyed and wary.

“P-please don’t eat me,” he whimpered, cautiously taking the Vessel the cosmic wolf revealed to him. “N-nice doggie...” The redhead was smart enough not to touch the lights, using a scrap piece of bark to sweep the fragrant drops into the bag. “These smell like... chamomile...” he breathed, a smile slowly finding and anchoring itself on his freckled face.

“My name’s Jay. Jay Walker. What’s your name, buddy?” he asked, petting Lloyd between the ears and under the chin.

“Lloyd!” Jay snapped his head towards the sound. It was Delilah, towed around by Cole. That must’ve been a huge use of energy, Lloyd realized. “Oh good, you found another Twyl. Hm, you might be a Skywing, Mr. Engineer.”

“Lloyd, who are these crazy people?”

“His friends. We’re on a quest - er, sidequest - to restore Light to the Four Villages of Ninjago. That’ll put everything back to normal,” Delilah explained, casually maneuvering onto Lloyd’s back. “Cole saw more around the shop. C’mon!”

Lloyd turned towards Jay Walker. Please come. We’re stronger united... The young man obeyed, following as Lloyd vaulted towards a shop he passed earlier. It sold lantern oil and some ‘Miracle Tea’ that recovers stamina. It was, however, ominously red.

“That’s actually Moonberry Juice. Must’ve been a Twyl who travels regularly - possible since they’re not here - OR took a seed or sapling on their way to Ninjago.”

“Wait - moonberries ain’t from Ninjago? Seriously?” Cole called after tasting some on his finger. He bottled some, as well as the lantern oil. He tossed some rupees into the designated bin and tucked the bottles into Lloyd’s saddle bag.

“Again, who are these lunatics?” Jay asked.

“We’re Twyls, dude~” Cole smirked, earning a groan. “You’re like me, from Ninjago. But we gotta whole latta Twyl Energy. Oh, and when you get your form, drink that,” he explained, pointing towards the pouch with the juice. “I might only know quiznaking squat about the Twilight Realm, but this ‘Miracle Tea’ actually works and I really wish I had some when I first transformed. Cause boy it hurts like a mother-”

“-Okay!” Delilah interrupted. She stretched a ring - smaller than last time but stars-willing just as effective - signaling Lloyd to go around the fog of death surrounding the shop now.

“Dude! Those things feed on fear!” Cole scorned, stance ready.

“Yeah, you do smell like fear,” Delilah added, ring doubling pointedly.

“Well - yeah! I’ve been surrounded by monsters for a week in a town I was only visiting, and now again, AND there’s three superpowered psychopaths working on my anxiety. So EXCUSE ME if I’m only human!”

Lloyd could feel the tension. The tension between those he’s surrounding himself with, and the rubber-like tension of Delilah’s void ring, stretched to its limit holding down the mist. He’d deal with the first later. For now, he leaps at hyperspeed towards the targets. Wherever that band of Twyl energy wanted. Sure enough, bubbles of green floated up, smelling like chamomile.

The Earthblood did the honors. “All full. Let’s go tell Rocky!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that there's a Google Docs version which is color-coded so this chapter was portrayed MUCH cooler, especially when Delilah was reading Kenzie's mind. Wanna check it out? Great! There's also commentary from my friends and I there. Feel free to judge 😂 
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IzzKTJc_iCmgdfO1lol_m-tDPQLt_kYXMY4lqHf--0g/edit?usp=sharing


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MORE GRAPHIC TRANSFORMATIONS. There. I swear it's for realism and NOT cause I'm crazy. Please don't hurt me...

The Vessel practically launched towards Rocky’s disembodied voice as he greedily took in his resurrection. He held it from his jaw and blew gravel towards the ground. Light spread from every blade of grass to the mountains of Oppenheimer and beyond.

“Thank you, Brave One. And you, Jay Walker. My brother, Wisp, knows you,” Rocky declared, voice much sturdier now. Still gravelly, but Lloyd was starting to understand now. In fact...

“Yes!” he cheered.

“You’re not a dog,” Jay blanked, staring with eyes the color of the blue rupees one might find in the mountains or jangling in another’s pocket. There’s a whole system with the colors, but Lloyd didn’t think about that, just about how good it felt not to look or smell like a dog.

“Prince Lloyd is a cosmic wolf, a Cosmic Twyl capable of shifting forms into a wolf like his father.”

“Yeah, cause that makes sense,” Jay snorted. Rocky tapped a claw to his head, silencing the boy no one could silence. “Makes sense,” he repeated softly.

“The fastest route to Wisp is through that temple, but there’s been a disturbance there since the Corrupted passed through. I have faith in the four of you. Now, go save the world.”

“No pressure there,” Lloyd and Jay said in unison. The older of the two looked over the other, blue eyes attempting to comprehend the mystic attire. He stuck out a hand with a joyful smile.

“Always wanted to meet a prince.”

Lloyd gladly shook the fellow’s hand. “Same here, except I didn’t know I was one til recently. It’d mean a lot to me if you came with us. I have a feeling we’ll need all the help we can get, and I’d like to save my sister as quickly as possible.”

“Ohhhh we’re saving a girl. Is she hot?” he winked.

“Jay!” Cole cried in horror as he led the way to the temple.

“What? I’m just trying to piece together the puzzle, know what I’m getting myself into, things like that. How old is she?” Lloyd glared daggers at him, releasing a branch he had to bully his way through into the alleged Skywing’s cocky face. “Agai- ow! - I’m trying to figure out how capable she is!”

“Valid. The Garmadon Twins are twenty-one,” Delilah answered from her spot in Lloyd’s shadow, eventually melting into her human form. She skipped over to Cole, linking their arms and even going as far as to briefly lean her head on the brute’s bicep.

“Cool, cool. So... favorite color?”

“Jay, if it weren’t the end of the world, I’d choke you.”

“I mean I’d ask yours, buuuut...” the man gestured to the dark gi.

“It was my dad’s, dingus. But black really does bring out the eyes.” Soon they were at the temple door. Or, what Lloyd assumed was a door up until it looked like someone filled in a cave and painted over it. “Well, there’s a distraction.”

“Yeah, any more of Zaptrap’s yammering and we’d be back down a man,” Cole teased, pretending to roll up his sleeves - barely existent from the start and now tattered since his Twyl growth spurt - and leaned into the stone, shoving it aside with ease.

“Dude there was literally a key if you just waited a sec,” Jay ranted, angrily jangling a keyring.

“And miss out showing off these guns,” Cole preened, flexing. “No way!”

Lloyd and Delilah chuckled at the friendlier friendly banter. Suddenly Lloyd felt sick, head and heart desperately throbbing. SKYWING SKYWING SKYWING - “Jay-”

The boy dropped, clawing at his back and shrieking. His face turned red, prickling and bubbling like a pot of soup as something fluffy sprouted from his cheekbones. A sleek pair of horns - unlike Cole’s ram-like ones or Delilah’s smooth goat-like ones or even the antler-like ones Lloyd possessed - grew out between messy tresses of reddish brown hair. Feathers mixed in as they formed sideburns.

Lloyd would never forget the sound of bones forcing each other to move, the shredding of skin and clothes as wings painfully grew from Jay’s spine. He couldn’t watch anymore.

“Drink up,” Cole said gently, and Lloyd could only assume it was the moonberry juice. “Whatever it is, you need to be up and running for us. That Twyl energy is major stuff. Only shows up when you need it.”

Jay took a few shaky breaths and even shakier sips of juice. After a few minutes, he stood up and led the way into the temple. Having been walking behind him, Lloyd couldn’t help but notice what looked like raw chicken wings on his back, patches of feathers ‘unplucked’ and slick with whatever gross fluid had been incubating them. Lloyd briefly wondered how Kenzie must’ve felt when she took on her Twyl form. The horns and starry freckles Delilah described before didn’t sound as painful as literal wings, and in Lloyd’s personal experience, only shifting into wolf form was...

“The need for your wolf form sped up the process,” Delilah explained. Lloyd jumped, forgetting that - even now - she could hear his thoughts. “Kenzie wasn’t on any missions or in imminent danger. She was happy. Plus, she barely has horns. At least that’s how she looked before leaving home.”

“So you’re telling us, that all of that could’ve been so much less painful?” Cole growled.

“Unfortunately that’s how it happens. Mine and Rayla’s were also easy since we’re thinking about it. My brother’s was... intense, because his powers are boundless, but not rushed. Like I told Lloyd before, everyone’s different.”

Lloyd nodded thoughtfully, a mindful hum quickly turning to an ‘oof’ as he slammed into Cole’s broad back. He took a peek around the giant, noticing a drop of maybe ten feet. In fact there were multiple entrances identical to this one, all with the drop of leg-breaking height. Someone cut the ropes to the bridges which connected in the center at some comparably less eroded land.

Jay slowly flapped his wings, more feathers grown in and drying, getting fluffier by the moment. He squinted, glaring at the surroundings with so much unbridled concentration and calculation it didn’t even look like Jay Walker. Pulsed his wings again, finally covered in feathers. “I can do it. My wings can-”

“-Certainly not,” Cole interrupted. “You just got those!”

“Cole, maybe we should let him try,” Lloyd attempted.

The Earthblood swelled with - no, not anger. Looks like anger, but Cole’s face is full of features that make him look grumpy and mature...er... “See that drop? Not safe. And those are new wings, which haven’t had any weight tested on them, let alone a whole additional person!” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Cole continued, looking Jay straight in his lightning-streaked eyes. “I don’t think it’s worth your life. We should turn-”

There was a rattling, sticky, slimy-sounding noise. From the ceiling dropped a skeletal spider. Lloyd squinted and turned his head - even rubbed his eyes quite vigorously - but no matter what, that bug - if one could even call it that - was HUGE.

“That’s ‘cause it is,” Delilah whispered near his ear.

Another beat of Jay’s wings caught everyone’s attention. Uncertain at first, he steadily rose, hovering over the gorge. “I’ve got this.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna mention there's a bit of slowburn...ish...ness... It was for Nii-San, okay???

Lightning sparked off his wings as he stared down the beast. He lifted a hand, drawing some sort of symbol Lloyd recognized like an old friend, but couldn’t understand. It came to life with wisps of energy tickling the air.

Lloyd was in terrified and wonderful awe as Jay released the charge with a mighty “Fulminus!”

The blue/violet-white stretched and lashed at the spider, its bones rattling. The air no longer felt charged, instead feeling thick with smoke and char and death. One by one the blacked thing dropped until its rear broke upon the earth.

Jay turned to his new friends, eyes alight and flickering, a bit smug. Delilah’s shadow hovered before him, a single hand to slap. Cole groaned, slinging Lloyd over his shoulder with a curt, “‘Scuse me, Majesty,” and slowly and expertly descending the gorge. But the Skywing wouldn’t let it go, snorting as he snatched up Lloyd and transported the prince much more efficiently. He was ready to do it again when Cole then remembered he had powers and put them to work. Lloyd chuckled.

From the radial center, Lloyd squinted in all directions, hoping most of his wolf skills and not just one remained as long as he stayed in Twyl form. If so, it’s useless at the moment; there’s nothing to point him in the right direction.

“Temple of Air. Yeah, could use an interior decorator.” Jay beat his wings, looking around. “Got hired for a job fixing some wind turbines. I haven’t seen the guy, but I have heard a voice.”

“Morro... Sounds familiar...” Delilah pondered aloud.

“You’re terrifying.”

“How the quiznak did no one find you creepy back home?”

“The Twilight Realm finds it normal. In Jamonikai, I’d convinced everyone I was the daughter of some late medicine man. So it made sense that I knew exactly how to treat everyone.”

“You lied?” Lloyd asked, hopping onto a freshly provided boulder in the northern direction Jay was leading. “Does my sister know?”

“Toldja before: I tell Kenzie everything, just like she tells me everything, freely. In fact, you and I could’ve been the same in Jamonikai if it hadn’t been for your incoming powers. I gave you the space you needed, but it was a shame your detecting ability made you uncomfortable with me.”

Jay unlocked the next door, much to Cole’s displeasure. It lead outside, where bridges suspended over immeasurable height rotated periodically with the wind.

“Aero-hydraulics. Perfectly safe,” Jay declared, still using his wings to get to the other side, probably to get used to them. Delilah smugly patted Lloyd and Cole’s shoulders and followed through the mildly cloudy sky, leaving them to fend for themselves. Again.

“That woman...” Lloyd groaned, timing his jump just right as the bridge swiveled.

“...Drives you insane in the best way?” Lloyd looked behind himself, instantly regretting it as he braced against the rotating bridge. Cole sheepishly slung an arm across his shoulders and urged him to the next bridge and the next and the next. “So tell me about this sister of yours.”

“Kenzie? She’s... pretty great, actually. She’s shy, but once you get her talking about things like the sky or the medicines and other things she and Delilah made, she’ll go on and on. When we first got to Jamonikai, folks made fun of her voice, but she likes to sing...” Lloyd thought back to the one she’d been humming the morning she was stolen.

“...and I’m thinking we’ll find them soon.” Lloyd turned his gaze away from Cole to find they’d crossed the skies to the other mountain. Looking out, Oppenheimer towered above them all, and he felt a bit better. “...well it shows three.”

“But how come it’s just you two?”

“I’m with Jay on that one. There’s already four of us.”

“Lloyd?” Delilah’s eyes were visible pools of exhaustion. She sank into his shadow without another word.

“Um, you guys mean these?” he asked, holding out the hand with the triangle symbols. At times like these he felt great he could speak again. “Well, it seems it marks those of us born in the Twilight Realm. So, if there’s anyone else getting this mark, they’re probably from here.”

With a brief glance at one another, Jay and Cole shrugged and raced for the next door. Sometime between the flurry of feathers and stone it opened.

Delilah lightly chuckled. “They’re adorable.” He shrugged, walking into Cole’s back in a frustrating case of deja vu. “Oh,” the Moonshadow said flatly.

“Oh,” the Cosmic agreed, his eyes wide as he peered around Cole to see one ghastly-looking Skywing.


	12. Chapter 12

It didn’t look like the ghouls he’s saved Jay from earlier. Not the reanimated corpses, fresh and not-so-much swarming around the Temple of Air’s mountainous base. That didn’t make it any less terrifying to look at.

The being didn’t even need his wings anymore, hovering twenty feet above the bottom of another gorge. What good would they do, their feathers all matted and tangled. Such a look repeated in his long hair, creating a streak, as well as on his face, making his sunken eyes - already black and soulless - appear to be crying for an eternity.

Its gaze - if it could be called that - rested on Lloyd’s simultaneously curious and fearful stare. The creature tilted its head, a smile creeping onto the placid, sunken face.

“It was only a matter of time, Your Highness. Only a matter of time before you faced me.” The ghost settled down, its behavior like Delilah’s shadow. Lloyd suddenly felt claustrophobic. “Your uncle - my sensei - said I’d wear that gi one day. But it didn’t choose me like it chose you, like I chose it. And what’s a guy to do, eh? Not be upset?

“I fought with all I could. I was cheated. I was locked up, in a hollow mountain, and forgotten. All because Destiny chose you and not me, Lloyd! I was so sure I’d be the greatest warrior! I didn’t even care you and Kenzie were-”

“-Don’t talk about my sister!” Lloyd spat. One of the creature’s brows pitched, all but tearing the paper-thin skin. If that’s what it was anymore.

“I saw him: Aaravos. He passed through twice without a glance my way. Kenzie looks so peaceful when she unconscious.”

“I said don’t talk about her!” In a flash Lloyd was at his level, sword striking against an object never seen before, much like an oversized shuriken of a foreign metal. No matter. Lloyd kept swinging splenetically.

“Lloyd, no! That’s Morro, Prince of the Sky Twyls! His tortured soul never released his Twyl energy, meaning he has no successor!” Delilah cried, holding Lloyd back as best she could. Morro smirked, pushing the cosmic sword away and getting so close his crumbling horns knocked against Lloyd’s.

If looks could kill, well... Morro’s already dead. Does it work that way? Could it work that way? Nevertheless the spirit held out his weapon like a gift. “It’s an Aeroblade. Oceancrest and Sunfire Twyls once worked together to harvest and forge deepstone into a weapon capable of manipulating lost souls. Bind me to it and take me along. I’ll be useful, O Brave One.” Despite his crass tone, Morro only smiled.

In spite of himself, Lloyd asked, “And how exactly do I do that?”

“Many ways. It’s a cross between shuriken and boomerang, so it’s very accurate, especially with me bound to it. There’s a ritual you could do, but it’s fancy and time-consuming.”

“I’m pressed for time.”

“Figures. Gotta find sister dearest, after all.”

“I’m regretting even considering your offer.”

“You could also just ask nicely.” Lloyd stared, not sure if he wanted to try his luck stabbing a powerful wind spirit with the aeroblade or simply walk away. Morro took the hint and dissolved into the weapon. Mentally exhausted, Lloyd placed it in Delilah’s outstretched hand.

Lloyd found the ground raise up beneath him, the force sending him on his back. It was almost as dizzying as the aero-whatchamacallzit bridges. Once again it was Cole to the rescue, lifting the comparative beanpole - although Lloyd knowns he’s also quite brawn - up and out of the second mountain. They were greeted by another set of bridges, and Cole never once set him down. The waltz and almost ballerina-like motions were pretty soothing, and Lloyd soon began dreaming.

Kenzie was there, of course, smiling and kicking up the waters of the spring surrounding Flame. Then Rocky appeared, plus two more dragons they’ll probably meet later, surrounding her from above. She turned, hands outstretched, purple at the tips and freckled with stars. Her eyes had more gold in them, but not the sickening black-and-gold of the Corrupted. Her cheeks were flushed violet with constellations dotting across. And like him, her hair was longer and whiter, with similar horns.

Suddenly his own hand was in view, the one with the odd symbol. Delilah’s shadowy yet marked hand came into view as well-

“-Lloyd!”

“Wow, Cole, you’re so boring you actually put him to sleep. Nevermind we have a mission!” That one was Jay.

“Don’t be dramatic. He hasn’t slept in a while and’s been fighting the whole time. Oh great. Your attack plan was a success.” She flicked Lloyd’s nose. “Ready to meet Wisp?” Do I have a choice? I still have Kenzie and the rest of this realm nonsense to save... “Good.”

The path ahead also had a black curtain. Ready this time, Lloyd dived in, shifting while Delilah dragged in the others.

“Fast learner,” she complimented as she settled in.

“I think you mean very good boy!” Jay cooed, scratching behind the ears.

“Weird flex but when life hands you lemons,” Lloyd heard someone say. SUNFIRE SUNFIRE SUNFIRE. Not a threat, tho- OCEANCREST OCEANCREST OCEANCREST. Also a non-threat. But if they’re Twyls - full-on Twyls! - how are they so calm? How are they even here? And why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY HOMEBOY APPEARS!!! If you haven't read the Google Docs ver, just know that MORRO COULD'VE BEEN THE BEST COUSIN FIGURE EVER IF WU WASN'T SUCH A SECRETIVE BUTT. Kid just wanted to make his father-figure proud and got whooped for it...


	13. Chapter 13

"Kai! Be nice! Wisp said he’s been through a lot and only just got his Twyl form,” a more feminine voice chastised.

Thinking it a good idea to practice using his wolf senses, Lloyd sniffed around until he found the two Twyls hiding behind some bushes. The male boasted of SUNFIRE KNIGHT energy, while the girl no older than Lloyd had the most potent ANNOYED SISTER vibe ever, but that’s just observation.

The Sunfire Knight Lloyd figured was Kai stared down at him. “So the Gods of the Realms chose you as their champion.” There was a scar over his left eye, making what could’ve been a neutral or even mildly scrutinous gaze appear more apprehensive.

He released the handle of his Sunforge Blade and offered it to Lloyd. The wolf placed a paw in his warm grip and they shook.

“I’m Kai, and this here’s my little sister, Nya.” They look so different, Lloyd couldn’t help but think as he turned from the fiery, sun-marked appearance of Kai to Nya’s tranquil presence. Whereas Kai had the same proud golden markings as Janai and her army, Nya was decorated with gills highlighted by her bobbed raven hair as well as iridescent scales. She had a few weapons, but mainly carried tools and trinkets.

And if Lloyd thought she seemed cool, Jay was utterly infatuated by her, asking if she liked the color blue by any chance, to which she replied with a giggle, “It’s my favorite color!”

“Alright, Romeo,” Cole huffed. Probably, Lloyd thought, because he wishes he was as smooth with Delilah. Although, he has made some progress...

The girl named Nya waded over towards the wolf. She removed something from across her shoulder. That Vessel must belong to Wisp. It had a bluish tint, which meant Lloyd knew what to look out for.

But then that familiar, hair-raising feeling crept up on him, and he looked skyward, where - as instinct suspected - another dark rift in the perpetually dark sky tore through. A dragon roared nearby, probably Wisp as this rift was an injury to the veil between worlds he and his brothers upheld. Lloyd didn’t want to imagine how painful each breach was, or think about whether Delilah’s were any better even if the color scheme appeared less bloody. Instead he jumped at whoever appeared in front of him next, an elderly-looking Moonshadow Twyl with a friendly smile despite her telltale eyes. It made her look creepier, but a fight was a fight, even if he didn’t really want to.

The woman vanished as he lept at her. When he turned back, a giant leech-like creature crawled out, the woman’s laughter everywhere.

“Quiznak! How’d he get her to leave the Nexus?” Kai shouted. A ripple went down his spine and suddenly he looked like a monster, light shining through the symbols on his skin like fissures of lava through the earth.

As if one ferocious beast blocking the path weren’t enough, somehow the lady summoned a spider as well. It didn’t appear to be made of bones, but the mass and brightness announced quite clearly it was a force to be reckoned with. Neither of the beasts attacked, just blocked the path on either side and made a lot of noise. That didn’t stop Kai, Cole, Jay, and even Delilah from attacking with everything they could think of.

“Brave One?” Nya called, crouching beside him. “I recognize that Twyl. She’s not an assassin. Her name is Lujanne, and she’s the illusionist in charge of guarding the Moon Nexus. Those creatures aren’t real.”

Lloyd nodded and hoped Delilah heard as well, but when he looked over she was nowhere to be seen. Squinting around, he spotted her unconscious on the ground, Lujanne standing over with blade in hand.

The next few moments went by incredibly slow. Lujanne raised the blade high overhead. Lloyd looked towards Jay, begging for his attention. Lujanne knelt down, poison dripping down the bevel. She looked fiendish. Jay! Delilah stirred. Jay! Only a hoarse bark came out. No. No! “JAY!”

Jay reacted quickly, lightning dancing between his wings as he drew another rune, screaming and blowing towards the spider that was Lujanne. The illusions dissipated as she tried to hold steadfast, slashing towards Delilah. The younger Moonshadow grunted, magic hand gripping Cole, who was - naturally - firmly grounded. With the last of Jay’s breath, Lujanne finally tumbled into a tree, head striking hard.

Another growl could be heard as the rift opened up again. But this time, Delilah used whatever magic that ails her to hold the corrupted one down. She was still panting, but after several excruciating moments, whoever was making these portals gave up. Lujanne was theirs.


	14. Chapter 14

"Delilah should be okay. The knife just grazed her, and Twilit sedatives look a lot like Ninjagian poisons, so I do understand the concern. She just needs to sleep it off,” Nya explained calmly. Her diagnosis took way too long for Lloyd’s taste, but he wasn’t learned in the ways of science and medicine, so he remained silent.

Instead he glared at Lujanne, who’d been tied to a tree with her knife under Kai’s care. He and Cole had been trying to interrogate her.

He narrowed his eyes further, the world melting away until it looked like a second Lujanne was curled up and sleeping quite soundly. In fact, the dimpled smile deepened the wrinkles around her eyes, and Lloyd had to wonder how she could be dangerous. But then the devilish grin returned to the gold-and-black-eyed one’s face, and it all came back to him.

Finally, he turned towards the others, concentrating on his newfound voice “She won’t speak tonight. Let’s set up camp. When Dee wakes we try again. I’ll take first watch.”

The others glanced around nervously, but settled around the fire Kai managed to conjure up. It was one of the few spells he ever bothered to learn because he was a Sunfire Knight and not a Twyl of the forge like his father was. He was a respectable man who ran a well-renowned smith shop called Four Weapons outside Twilight Jamonikai. He and their mother, an Oceancrest like Nya grew up to be, had left to fulfill a request from the Queen when Aaravos broke free.

No one mentioned it, but it was likely he got to them one way or another.

Lloyd hoped it was the other.

He leveled his gaze at Lujanne. She stared into the flames bitterly, but did not struggle against her ties.

After about an hour of this, she spoke up for the first time since she rifted there. “You don’t smell like fear as much as you had when Rayla first fought you. You’ve grown comfortable.”

“Maybe,” the wolf allowed. “I have clearer directive now. And I’m angry.”

“That makes a stronger fighter... He’s not going to kill that girl of his. He told me. But he won’t make it easy for you. No, no, he wishes to have a bit of fun!” Lujanne began laughing almost uncontrollably. “Lord Aaravos has seen the future! Your own mother gave it to him, aha!”

“My mother wouldn’t compromise-”

“-Then you don’t know your own mother! If it means her precious brother-in-law... ahahaha!”

Lloyd glared. Another hour goes by. Cole got up and drowsily walked into the fog for a bit, then curled up next to Delilah after a few minutes. It sounded like he wanted to take watch, maybe, but he was so incoherent Lloyd didn’t even bother to answer him.

A third hour goes by. Lujanne has dozed off, a small illusion creature she’d been clutching slowly disappearing with her consciousness. It was almost cute.

When a fourth hour goes by Lloyd is officially restless. He nudges Delilah once. Twice. Gives up and paces up and down the isolated path. Stupid Lujanne. Stupid Aaravos! Why’d the whole world have to go sideways, anyways? Sure, he wanted to leave the village, but aside from that he and his sister were satisfied with their lives in Jamonikai...

“Your mom tried to stop the prophecy. You guys didn’t wanna listen.” Delilah was poking the fire. “You told the Queen that if you don’t fight for your home, who will? Heh...”

“Sounds like me.” He settled down beside her. “You think you can fix Lujanne?”

“Not by myself, no. What happened to her... took an immense amount of energy, more than I have. I’d need someone who also has telepathic abilities.”

“Your brother?”

“Lloyd, I- ...I haven’t heard from Neuro since Aaravos started hunting Twyls...” She sniffed, aggressing the fire once more. “I’d have to ask Rocky since he’s the closest functioning dragon. But that means I can’t be with you.”

“Take Cole.” Her lilac eyes were bright as she processed the order. “Meet at Wisp’s when done.”

She smiled, hugging the wolf around the neck. “I’ll be there ASAP. You be safe!” Shaking Cole awake, the two quickly carried Lujanne off towards Oppenheimer. He felt a touch of sadness as they disappeared.

He took another stroll around the campsite. As much as he kept being called one, the Twilight Prince didn’t feel much like a hero. He was old enough to down a keg with the village men, but fussed when Kenzie wanted to trim his hair or shave the light fuzz that occasionally showed up along his jaw, or wash his favorite gi. He liked her stories and he liked animals and sometimes he used a few spare rupees to buy candy, then scarf it down before Kenzie could scorn him for ‘wreckin’ dinner’.

Once again he gazed upon the entrance to Wisp’s spring, this time actually venturing in. It was, of course, like the other two, they’d come across, but this time he wasn’t greeted by the Guardian Spirit. Perhaps it’s ‘night’.

Instead, the flowing pools splashed at random, a violent light dancing off the ripples. It reminded him of Jay’s lightning rune, and he stayed where it was dry.

He sniffed at the flowers peppering the area. They glowed a bit as his nose brushed a few, a pretty purple shade of the night sky. They smelled like rain in the forest at midnight. He liked that smell.

Another scent caught his attention. It smelled like morning dew. It was refreshing, and he followed it until he bumped his nose against it. It was smooth, and round, like a ball. But this oversized marble was kinda heavy and too big to carry in his mouth. Yet it was important. He just knew. How could it not be, with a storm brewing inside of it?

“Canine instincts kicking in?” a voice called. Kai crept out of the shadows. “Saw half the group go missing, a guy gets suspicious.”

“Delilah and Cole took Lujanne to Rocky.”

“Oh?”

“To fix her.” Lloyd scooched the ball towards the Sunfire’s feet. He knelt down, closing his tattooed hand around the storm sphere. A bit distanced, Kai scratched under Lloyd’s chin, and while he didn’t dare voice the pleasant feeling that that produced, his tail slowly motioned side to side.

“Nya probably knows what this is. She’ll want to study it.” He lead the way back to the camp. “So why’d you leave?”

“Kenzie and I were sent away.”

“I take it you don’t remember me, huh?”

“Should I?”

“Eh... We met once when we were little. My dad sometimes was called to assist a forge, so we traded letters a lot.”

“Really...”

“Nah, I’m kidding!” he laughed, ruffling the wolf’s fur a bit. “My father did visit a lot, though. Said you got into a lot of trouble.”

“Hey!”

“Careful, Big Brother, or the Prince will think you’re a pathological liar.” Nya had neatly unpacked one of her bags. She leaned up against Jay quite snuggly. “What’s that?” she asked, getting up - causing poor Jay to pout, one should add - and inspected the object in her brother’s hand. “Where’d you find this?”

Kai looked to Lloyd, who shrugged as much as any canine can. “Among the flowers in the spring. Why? What is it?”

“This is a Primal Stone. I’ve only read about these in father’s books! These are Twilit Artifacts containing the raw power of the six Primal Sources: Sun, Moon, Sky, Stars, Earth, and Ocean. With it, any Twyl or Ninjagian is capable of using Twyl energy to manipulate the corresponding Primal Source! This is an incredible find!”

Jay kicked more dirt over the dead fire. He stretched, flexing his wings. “T-pose to assert dominance, amiright?”

“Again, weird flex but when life hands you lemons.”

“Aw shut it, Kai. So how do you use...?” Touching the ‘stone’ Jay lost his train of thought, eyes going bright and wings conducting energy. He drew a rune. One Lloyd recognized with terrible certainty. “Fulminus.”


	15. Chapter 15

"Get down!”

Crack. The bolt snapped against the mountain, sending a large cleft up beyond the clouds.

“Not good,” Nya declared, pocketing the obviously Sky Primal Stone and freeing Jay from his trance. Snatching his hand and her brother’s arm, she ran towards the next town, Lloyd following close behind as boulders tumbled down the slope.

☾

Ah, there you are, Darling,” the strange man cooed. He’d introduced himself as Lord Aaravos, a... that’s where it got fuzzy again. Nevertheless he sat at the edge of the plush bedding he’d gifted his hostage. He leaned over Kenzie and fondly stroked his star-coated fingers through her white-blonde curls, tracing along her horns. “I’ve thought about you every single day, my star.”

“ ‘N that’s why you kidnapped me?”

The nobleman chuckled wholeheartedly. “I can only blame myself for how sassy you are. We had so much fun together, before they separated us.”

“They?”

“Your mother, the Queen of the Twilight Kingdom? Not to mention your dear Uncle Wu and Runaan. They never understood us Startouch. They didn’t understand Quintessence or the magic I was able to perform with it. I only wanted to show you, my star. But they took you away from me.” His expression darkened, and the strange man - Twyl; Delilah had mentioned it - raised a four-fingered hand to his temple in pain.

“Did the Quintessence hurt you?” Kenzie sat up, brushing with her fingertips - dusted with galaxies as well, she realized - across his star-freckled cheeks. The Twyl flinched at her cold touch. “Sorry.”

“No, no! I’m just not used to it,” he explained softly, leaning in. “Everyone’s been so afraid of me since my discovery...”

“What is Quintessence?”

“I’m glad you asked.”

☾

The halls he took her down were unfamiliar and ancient-looking. Pillars of black, perhaps marble or onyx or whatever materials existed here, rose high above her line of sight. From the invisible ceiling spilled luxurious - though tattered - starlit purple curtains. They matched Aaravos’ skin and the lining of his cloak. All around were accents of blood red. Starlight illuminated the place, thankfully. The suits of armor stationed every few pillars or so were easier to stomach without any additional eerie shadows casted.

“Like them, Darling?” Aaravos asked, smiling down with those gold-and-black eyes.

“The lights are a nice touch,” she admitted, trying desperately to avoid eye contact.

“No one but a Startouch can see them. It’s an ability we have to map our locations like the constellations in our souls.”

“I thought I was directionally challenged.”

“Only because it’s not as easy to use your gifts in Ninjago, and your poor memory took a beating being sent there. Even messed with your speech pattern. But...” he smirked.

“But what?”

They’d arrived at a large double-door, engraved in red with a rune she’d never seen before. “I used Quintessence to help you. It’s slowly jogging your memories and reawakening your gifts, my star.” He pushed open the doors. A single light shone in the next room, a large star illuminating her mind.  
“Before the Twilight Kingdom there the Galra and Altean empires. There were other tribes, but the Galra and the Alteans were in charge of it all. Their leaders were Cosmic Twyls, and they were friends and rivals.

“The Emperor of the Galra, Zarkon, was skilled in fighting and enjoyed conquest. One day he met and fell in love with a royal Altean Alchemist, the kind of Startouch we are, my Darling. They married and gave birth to an heir, Prince Lotor. Meanwhile, King Alfor of Altea also married and eventually welcomed a child of his own: Princess Allura.

“Now, because the Galra researched and relied on Quintessence so much, it came into shortage in their empire. That lead to a battle for territory and the valuable resource.” He paused, reaching the pedestal. “This is the last capsule from Galra land. The Alteans said it led to a madness which forced the young prince to flee to Altea. He grew up with and later married my mother: Princess Allura.”

“The rightful ruler of the Twilight Realm,” a voice murmured. It wasn’t Kenzie, and it didn’t match the smooth baritone of Aaravos.

Paired with the raspy voice was a clawed hand, touching the capsule. Aaravos smiled.

“Vrepit sa, Grandfather.”

☾

Lloyd woke to find he and his companions in a haze. Not a metaphorical, ideological one, either. An actual haze. The scent of the air was strong and bitter, and there was a bubbling, deep and murky. It made him feel uneasy.

“The Toxic Bogs...” Kai whispered. “This is where the Venomari live.”

“What are those?” Jay squeaked, clinging to Nya.

“Creatures of this world tied to the Earth Primal, but they’re hybrids of Twyls and venomous snakes,” Nya quietly dissected. “Jay, there’s too much fog to navigate the bogs. Can you use your wind spell until I fill my lantern?”

“I have oil in my pack,” Lloyd piped up. While Nya set to work filling her lantern and having Kai light it, Jay blew the thick fog away, making a clear path.  
A tree fell, slowly melting away like acid. Excited, Lloyd picked up Kai and hopped from tree to stone to stone to branch. Jay carried Nya through the sky to meet them there. Looking around, Lloyd could barely see the crumbled mountain. This was a pit of despair, really. The way out - since the way in was blocked - wasn’t visible. Yet.

But what he could see were grotesque, scaly figures. The horns were eroded or nonexistent in some cases. Their skin was green, but unlike Morro who was plain ghostly, this was feral and animalistic. Their yellow eyes were slitted, forked tongues flicking as they communicated with one another.

“Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?” Jay whined.

Lloyd squinted. Bingo.


	16. Chapter 16

One quick howl was all it took to get their attention. The ones more serpentine in nature quickly slithered through the bog and up the tree.

“Nya, open the Vessel. Jay, Kai, neutralize as many as you can. I’ll collect the light as quickly as possible,” Lloyd commanded. Kai brandished his Sunforge Blade and Jay’s wings lit up in anticipation. Good. With luck, this should end quickly.

When he saw the first few charred corpses, Lloyd thought he’d come across some rotting molts; it took some time to pick up on the burnt smell amongst all the chaos. Jay grew comfortable using his magic and weaving in and out the waves of Venomari. He was a competent fighter, as was Kai, who skillfully - if still clunky - cut through each opponent. Whereas Jay struck first, Kai remained in one place, taunting the serpentwyls towards him. Lloyd decided he’d remember both styles and practice them when this was all over.

Nya was also a talented fighter. Every move was calculated and certain. Jay is funny, Kai is hot-headed, Nya is confident. It’s clear she believes in a ‘work smarter, not harder’ approach, and Lloyd thought - while collecting buzzing bluish-violet-white lights - that Kenzie would love her.

The light was actually easy to collect on his own. They were drawn to the Vessel, gravitationally, magnetically, statically. Now it feels heavy. “Nya, how much more?”

Her faintly blue hand traced the runes on the Vessel as she inspected it. “About a few more should do the trick. Guess we got lucky with that landslide.”

“Yeah, but let’s not do that again,” Kai piped up, playfully smacking Jay between the wings.

Nya lit the rest of the bog up with her lantern. Lloyd admired its detail, as it wasn’t the paper lanterns of Ninjago but rather metal and glass forged into a shell, so intricate and blue. Unlike anything he’d seen, but definitely a shell.

It gave him something to think about as they left the bog. He had to take Kenzie out to see the rest of Ninjago, and they really needed to tour the Twilight Realm. The safe parts, at least. The shiny, beautiful parts where they could explore the wonders of the world. And this time he wasn’t plotting to ditch Delilah first chance but actually wanted her company as well as anyone else who wanted to. He wanted his mom and ellusive uncle to be there. He wanted Runaan and Rayla there, if they aren’t too upset about this whole nightmare. Who else...?

“Well that’s a change of venue,” Jay quipped. Lloyd snapped out of his daze, blinking in the open area. It was a twilight version of a place he’d heard about.

“Crash Course Canyon. A sketchy merchant I know shortcuts through here. Normally it’s-”

“-A deathtrap.” Everyone eyed Jay suspiciously. “What? My parents are afraid of driving through here. I had to pull teeth with a cart driver for a ride to the temple.”

“Our father warned us of this place. Constrictai Canyon is full of Twyls like the Venomari-”

“-Serpentwyls!”

“...Yeah... But instead of spitting poisons-”

“-Actually, they’re neurotoxins-”

“-Okay! These guys squeeze the living daylights outta ya. Not that there ever was much to begin with.”

“Great... More snakes...”

“Father said a good way to avoid Constrictai is to tread lightly. But we’ll inevitably find one, so if they get a hold of you, don’t struggle. Going limp makes you ‘slippery’, if you catch my drift,” Nya explained, following her brother out into the canyon.

One thing Ronin hadn’t mentioned - either because he deemed it unimportant or because it didn’t exist - was the numerous statues, some monuments to past kings. He recognized the word - the name - ‘Garmadon’. He looked up curiously, the likeness to himself uncanny from this vantage.

“‘King Garmadon of the Twilight Realm, Second in the Twilight Kingdom. Cosmic Shifter and Warrior Patron.’ Wow, impressive lineage,” Kai read the symbols Lloyd had decided were some sort of twilit language at the base of the monument. He nodded silently, proceeding through the canyon.

The sound of a rattlesnake caught Lloyd’s attention after what felt like an hour. They’d been quiet, whispering and cautiously stepping, not touching anything. It was exhausting. Lloyd wondered if he was hearing right.

He was absolutely certain when all the lifesize statues stood ready to fight. He tensed, watching the dust fell off of them as they saluted to a snake-like being wearing a helmet similar to theirs and carrying a golden scythe. Rams horns, huge and gnarled. Slitted eyes. Black scales. The tail on that thing trailed by several feet. Beside him was a larger statue possessing more arms, and soon, several smaller Constrictai filtered in.

“We’re just passing! Not looking for any trouble,” Kai tried. The leader flicked its tongue.

“Lord Aaravossss hassss gifted great powerssss to usssss. Behold: the Ssssstone Army, the Sssscythe of Quakessss, the Earth Primal Ssssstone!” One of the Constrictai rushed forward, presenting a sphere much like one Nya carried, only instead of a literal storm there was a lush forest surrounding a mountain, complete with birds. Flora, fauna, mineral. We’re gonna need that Stone. And the Scythe. The army, not so much...

The leader pointed towards the wolf with the scythe. “Word isss that you’re the missssing Prince of the Realm. Our Masssster wisssshes to speak to you. No word on what to do with the othersssss,” he chuckled.

The eyes of the soldiers glowed green. The rattling grew louder.


	17. Chapter 17

No lights. The only prize here is the weapons. Lloyd was fine with that. Now, there’s... thirty opponents? How unfair!

For them.

“Jay, get Nya and Kai out of here. Get to the end. I’ll meet you there!” He launched, teeth bared.

The metallic taste was cold yet fulfilling. The scales were a waxy nuisance against his teeth. A few attempts at batting away the stone soldiers left Lloyd reconsidering sending Jay off. A lightning bolt would be more useful than his bruising tail.

The Scythe of Quakes’ golden coating reflected the twilight, catching Lloyd’s eye, abandoned amongst the pile of bodies he’d produced. The expression of the leader was still mid-scream, something like ‘Vrepit sa!’, if that even meant anything. Probably, Lloyd thought, a bit uneasy as he locked his jaw around the handle.

As far as weapons go, this one’s decently hefty; real gold. Despite its weight, suddenly mowing down the enemy felt much easier. Sometimes the severed tails still wriggled for a bit before bleeding out. Gross...

Wind puffed out of him all at once when the mountainous blow took him from the side. The scythe clamoured to the ground, earth rumbling as it did. Scythe of Quakes, indeed. The larger soldier toppled down beside him, angry as ever, eyes burning brighter in its stony face. Truthfully they were all Lloyd could focus on as the world rumbled. Oh, this sucks...

Shake it off, Lloyd. Just some crushed bones. You got-

-A bolt of lightning shoots through the armored titan. Oh good. Jay’s here. The stone man growled, and if that didn’t send Lloyd’s already queasy stomach reeling, nothing could.

So he hunkered down as the ground shook violently and statues smashed together and lightning combusted a few things. And just when Lloyd thought he would combust - it stopped. Everything stopped. Everything was quiet and still, save for he and Jay’s heavy breathing and of course the moans of agony as Lloyd tried righting himself under this huge amount of pressure.

“I am both really worried and really curious about your cosmic puke, but I think we should get going,” the Sky-Twyl quipped. “The stench of death is a lot stronger here.”

Agreed. Swaying, Lloyd eventually caught sight of the helmet his friend wore, and paired with the Scythe strapped behind his waist, he looked ridiculous.

“Don’t you even think about laughing! This is the only thing keeping those things at bay. And I can fly outta here, Your Highness.” At least one innocent expression was deserved, and Jay was kind of a sucker for the puppy before him. It didn’t take long before Lloyd was high in the air, and soon after they arrived at a junkyard: Ed & Edna’s Scrap ‘n’ Junk.

Classy.

“Welcome to my humble a-” Jay stopped mid-flourish. “It’s quiet.”

“Yeah?”

“My parents are never quiet!”


	18. Chapter 18

Jay stormed into the junkyard, wings alight with electricity. He’d been right, obviously; his home was abandoned. There were scraps everywhere, as the sign suggested, half-finished projects creaking in the wind.

Lloyd squinted around, fur on end. Something was there. He could feel Jay, Nya, and Kai’s presence not too far off, and something else...

Spirits... An elderly-looking couple huddled in a trailer. “Jay, the trailer.” Suddenly the sky - dark as it is - was shadowed by Jay’s wings. Lloyd followed behind a distance. The couple whimpered at their presence, but eventually recognized their son.

“Mom! Dad! What happened to you? Why aren’t you Twyls, too?!”

Murmuring. Quiznak. These skills of his need a lot more concentration. “...and you were just so gosh darn cute we had to keep ya! We didn’t know you came from anywhere but Ninjago. We’re really sorry, Son.”

“I... I’m adopted?”

“But you came with something, Sweetie,” Edna offered, handing over what looked like nunchucks connected by lightning, which - Lloyd had to admit - was super fitting, and kinda odd he never noticed before. “It was left with your name. Maybe it can help shoo them pesky snakes.”

Snakes?

“Jay! A little help here!” Kai shouted, echoing through the yard.

“Yeah! Lemme just cut my identity crisis short real quick!” Jay shouted back, wiping at his eyes. He seemed to not have known Lloyd followed him in. “Er, d-don’t tell the others. Please.” Lloyd nodded solemnly. “Um, M-mom? Dad? Can my friend rest here for a bit? He’s been through a lot lately.”

“Oh, of course, Son! Now go show those snakes who’s boss!” Ed cheered.

Jay quickly disappeared, leaving Lloyd in the company of his - adopted - parents. As the seconds ticked by: 1) Lloyd quit squinting, and 2) the grunting of his friends and the hissing and rattling of serpentwyls could be heard growing louder.

And then-

“-There-”

“-he is!”

A two-headed, red-and-white scaled serpentwyl with glowing white eyes and enormous canines exposed kicked down the door to the already small, already cramped trailer. That being said, the mobile home was quickly invaded by the stench of death and blood. If Lloyd had at any point thought his stomach was under control, boy, did these poosers prove him wrong.

“Allow us-”

“-to introduce ourselves.”

“We are Fang-”

“-Tom. Lord Aaravos-”

“-is looking-”

“-to reunite you-”

“-with the princess.”

Lloyd shivered involuntarily, shifting to guard Mr. and Mrs. Walker. FangTom licked their fangs, tasting the air. Lloyd kept laser focus on each movement. Each nuance of their clawed, scaly hands. Every flick of their tongues.

They were ancient, possibly the first Twyls to adopt the snake-like evolutions. Why so many snakes? Banthers are also a good choice, but no. Everyone had to be a snake f-

“We grow weary-”

“-of your indecision!”

“...Where will you take me?” A hint. Just one hint. One hint that maybe Delilah would hear and follow. “A-and... if I go, will others be... safe?” The classic trope of vampires taking over and one story enthusiast NEEDS to know his friends won’t be drained of their souls.

“Our Master-”

“-resides-”

“-in ancient Galra territory-”

“-not on any map-”

“-you may conjure.”

Jay’s screams echoed. Nya’s cry followed.

“If you leave with us-”

“-we’ll leave behind our staff. It has-”

“-the antivenom.”

Vampires. Definitely a thing to tell Kenzie, definitely not a force to be reckoned with. “I’ll go.”

“Excellent,” FangTom whispered. So ancient their horns melted away. So ancient, they could speak fluently around their long wet tongues and stalactite fangs. So powerful, their grip on Lloyd was crushing. He could hear the spirit-fuzzy screams of protest Jay’s made as the serpentwyls carried him out.  
“Vrepit sa,” they shouted towards their comrades. This time it did mean something. Their subordinates hissed and left Lloyd’s friends alone, despite the green look on Jay’s face. FangTom dropped their snake-headed staff that had a single, fiery Primal Stone embedded in its teeth.

Then they ran.

☾

One thing Kenzie spoke of was about travelling at the speed of sound or light. It’s fast, and it affects time in strange ways, in theory. Only dragons could ever move at such a speed. And so can the Fangpyres (they call themselves that), apparently.

It felt like half an hour, but the sky’s clouds and stars shifted much more rapidly. The wolf felt so heavy and unbalanced by the time their trip ended, and he really wondered why he hadn’t been sick yet.

He peeked around at the crypt. Foggy graveyard, haunted palace/mansion thingy. He was on the most stereotyped stage for a horror play. Not even Ronin’s worldly knowledge or Darroth’s horrible delight in theatre could’ve prepared Lloyd for it.

The lower-ranked Fangpyres crawled back into their graves, leaving the wolf under the charge of FangTom yet again.

“Smart boy.”

“Very admirable,” they cooed, gripping up Lloyd yet again and brisking towards the ominous building Kenzie’s locked up in. Lloyd tried to burn what the place looked like into his skull for Delilah to use. Please do please do please do please do.

But he wasn’t scared. He’d just need backup for when he broke he and his sister out.

“Welcome to Daibazaal-”

“-capital of the Galran Empire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snek.


	19. Chapter 19

Haunted. Definitely haunted. In his experience, big houses belong to important people, and no one in their right mind would destroy a place like this. Tattered curtains in a deep purple - almost black. The pillows were for structural support yet they barely seemed to withstand themselves, crumbled, chipped, clawed, and punched through. Any old tapestries and paintings were torn and splattered with some dark substance - possibly blood, though Lloyd wasn’t absolutely sure - into obscurity. The scuffed and scratched once-glass-like floors were lined with threadbare carpets, also stained and torn.

Whoever Aaravos is, he definitely enjoys the theatrics.

“Lord Aaravos-”

“-is out on errand-”

“-with his daughter.”

“He will be-”

“-back soon to welcome you.”

☾

Kenzie, Kenzie, Kenzie,” the Startouch drawled, though he knew the girl was unconscious. “I only do what I do for you, Starling. You wanted knowledge, I wanted to satiate those cravings.

“When I spotted you in that library,” he reminisced, crunching through the snow, “I asked, ‘There’s something you want very badly. Tell me, and I will help you.’ And you told me you wanted to see the world. The world! And what should I do but fulfill your demands?”

Kenzie stirred, though Aaravos was not disturbed. The Quintessence mixed with his mastery of the Arcanums made a potent sedative field. It followed him around loyally. And, he thought to himself playfully, it’s not as if she couldn’t use the sleep.

He clutched his cloak tighter around his neck as the frosty air nipped at his skin. Around him in the Frozen Wasteland, one wouldn’t be disappointed to find nothing but white and barren trees, the lands devoid of life for miles out. But he knew from his travels that a Guardian dwelled nearby in a frozen lake. He’d had the Hypnobrai handle him quickly enough, though. Once Shard was out of the way, it was pretty easy to send the other realm into darkness.

It was the only way he could get to his Starling, and the only way he could get a hold of more Quintessence. Surely, Emperor Zarkon and Prince Lotorwould put it to good use. It was pure energy - the living energy of the six Primals; unbridled and unapologetic for its strength.

The Alteans, Bulmera, Olkari - no one knew how to use it right. No one dared use it further - study it further - than absolutely necessary. The Bulmera harvested the Quintessence-rich minerals as an energy source, just to send it all back wastefully. The Olkari tribe harmonized with it for magical engineering feats. Feats Aaravos wished he knew more of. Feats Kenzie would be in awe of, but of course they didn’t wish to test their boundaries, either. The Alteans - whom the Startouch shared much of his lineage with - barely scraped the surface. They, too, feared it.

And they, too, perished.

“But Grandfather wasn’t,” he thought aloud. A twinkle lit up his golden irises as he spoke to the sleeping Kenzie. “And neither was Father. He found there was even more unadulterated power inside the Twyls. But he only used animals. His notes prove it. But Mother had to be brainwashed and flee to an even more ancient kingdom: among a graveyard of warriors seeking knowledge lies the pristine castle in Oriande.”

Snow began to fall. A Twyl with wings folded tightly to match the dead birch listened above head. ‘Do not engage... young one... The Brave One... will arrive...’ the chilling voice breezed through his skull. He nodded, knowing the Spirit could understand. He twirled a shuriken in thought. The snow drifted down harder.

☾

The Fangpyre leaders led Lloyd into a room with only one light. It wasn’t like the few candles lighting the ghostly halls lined on either side with dark soldiers of various ranks, if the differing symbols on their chests followed the Ninjagian laws he’d been familiar with.

But this room was pitch black except for the fact that a portion of the roof not under a second or third floor had crumbled down and become overgrown. The dusk filtered in through the destruction. If this place weren’t so unsettling and FangTom hadn’t left him alone, Lloyd might say it was a picturesque scene.

“When Cosmic and Startouch Twyls were more abundant, the Alteans searched for Cosmic Wolves.” Into the shifting light shuffled yet one more person Lloyd didn’t recognize. But his mind pulsed with warning, fur on end, that this COSMIC COSMIC COSMIC COSMIC should not be trusted. “Vrepit sa.”

Lloyd squinted around. Spirit lights were only visible in the can this freak held. Prior investigation said this was the last of them in Daibazaal. “Who... are you?”

The gnarled, ancient face split into a ragged smile. But the murderous look in his yellowed scolaras - unaccompanied pupils reduced to pinpricks - is what set him off. “None other than Emperor Zarkon, boy...” They simply stared at one another for a time. “You don’t run like your sister did. She was slippery.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“And there’s no reason to be!” Zarkon snarled. “Countless tribes feared the very power within us, and they were unable to survive!” His clawed fist wrapped around Lloyd’s leg faster than should be possible, digging into his flesh and drawing blood. Such a grip forbade the boy from escaping, let alone remain silent. “Do you know what vrepit sa means?”

“...N-...no...” Wince.

“Not that you’d care about Galran history,” Zarkon drawled hoarsely, squeezing, “but in short it means to do whatever means necessary. Victory or death!” he hissed, clutching tighter and tighter until it wasn’t a fur-covered leg but an arm he was strangling. “The other tribes were unwilling to take risks. Even went as far as to disown my dear Honerva. Do you know what they said after they stole our son? That she’d gone mad because of the ‘raw Twyl energy’ we were studying, harvesting, and using. Then they said she’d lost it entirely and killed herself!”

Lloyd grunted as the emperor’s claws drew more blood, shaking his fists violently with the young man’s arm secured and bruised.

“Then they groomed my son for their daughter, Lloyd. And when they finally had a son of their own, she turned on my boy and kidnapped their son, too! Where is the Altean ‘justice’ and ‘peace’ they claimed?”

“I don’t-”

“-No, of course not!” Zarkon roared. More of the castle crumbled. “Because history is written by the victors!”

“...What... what about ‘vrepit sa’?”

“The Quintessence won’t let me die. And now - since my grandson returned to me - now I see why. The war was never won or lost. The Twilight Realm should know about the purest form of energy it has.

"Yet my own son and grandson thought bigger than my dear Honerva and I could. They wish to get a hold of more potent Quintessence. They get it from Honerva." The Twyl's grip finally loosened as he remembered his wife, leaving Lloyd to collapse to the ground, panting.

Kenzie couldn't be helping the likes of this guy. He's obviously delusional and power-hungry. Grrrr... Speaking of hungry...

"You must be starved. Come. We were already preparing feasts upon feasts when Kenzie-" he said it with an off-kilter melody "-threw her fit. You won't, though, will you?"

"No-no, sir."

"Excellent."

☾

Unlike the rest of his visit, at the elongated table there were hordes of serpentwyls slithering in and out, performing tasks from serving the meal to doing chores to informing their master of any updates on the search for 'quintessence'. Lloyd had to take a step back and remember Daibazaal was once the capital of an ancient civilization. Ancient, not savage.

After a low-ranked - or just lower than one he'd killed - Constrictai updated Zarkon on a loss in the Sea of Sand, and the emperor became disgruntled. The creature whizzed away in a blur of oranges and greys. Soon, it was just Lloyd and Zarkon again.

"You're a fighter."

"...I am..."

"You decimated some of my strongest allies."

"I did."

Zarkon ate his meal, intensely watching his guest. Sometimes as he slurped Lloyd swore the man was growling. Uncomfortable and a bit hesitant, he matched him just as stern. Then the bowls were empty and the table was cleared.


	20. Chapter 20

Cosmic wolves of your calibre are... difficult to come by," Zarkon explained carefully. "There has only ever been one bloodline with such strength, such... Courage. Tell me, boy," he continued, leaning over the table, "what do you know about the Triforce?" Suddenly his pinprick pupils dropped to the symbol on Lloyd's hand. "Enough, I assume."

"Never heard of it."

"Courage, Wisdom, and Power," he whispered, eyes going wider. "The gods who created this realm bestowed it many gifts: Primal Sources, Arcanums, Quintessence, and the Triforce. And while everyone has all the other gifts, only three Twyls can possess a fragment of the gods' powers to shape the course of history.

"There was a warrior before you. Died before you were born, but he had Courage, and died in a fierce battle."

"If you're referring to my father just say it," Lloyd snapped.

"Well, you are wearing his gi..."

"Who are the other two?" Zarkon breathed deeply, massaging his temples around that odd crown he wore. "Who are the other two?"

The emperor snapped and a long, purple snake with jewel-toned eyes - like red rupies - appeared with a capsule of that ' quintessence' stuff everyone's raving about. Lloyd wondered if it was anything like the lights the Guardians wanted. Suddenly it occurred to him that he left the mission incomplete. Reality set in. How long before the end of the world?

"Thank you, Chumsworth."

"Of course... Sire..." The incredibly long serpentwyl slipped away as quickly as he'd come. At least Zarkon looked refreshed from whatever it was he'd done while Lloyd was lost in thought.

"How would I know that?" What? "I haven't left Daibazaal since King Alfor betrayed me and my people. You do, though. Someone with great Wisdom, and someone with great Power."

"Why tell me at all, then? What's the point? Are you expecting me to hunt them down for their 'quintessence'?"

"No."

"Then?"

The castle rumbled as part of the roof must have collapsed. Lloyd could hear the screams of the serpentwyls as floor after floor crumbled. Is this it? Did I take too long? Was I too selfish in my search for Kenzie?

It was the talons he saw first. Large and sleek, with the MOONSHADOW touch: moon phoenix. And he wasn't disappointed to find out was attacking Daibazaal. He was even more ecstatic to find Delilah and Cole - along with a blue-eyed Lujanne - riding its back.

All around, fire raged, probably the work of Kai and Jay, if all worked out with the anti-venom.

Man, when did life become this chaotic?

Well, rebellions and revolutions don't spawn from inaction... Lloyd drew his sword, the sensation it gave off short-lived as he struck Zarkon.

Power-mad as he may be, Zarkon was no fool; he met the cosmic blade with a weapon of his own. "You're not the only one with cool toys, you irrelevant scum! Deceit! What is with you Garmadons thinking the world acts upon your very whims, hm? I will ensure the immortality of this realm if it means draining every other of its Quintessence! And anyone in the way, too-"

-A large, magicked hand swatted him away, then turned to grab Lloyd. Suspended in the musty air, he glared playfully at his Moonshadow friend. "You're no fun!"

"And you're reckless," she snarked. "We've been searching all over Twilight for you!"

"Yeah, turns out Fangpyres are pretty hard to track down," Cole chirped.

"Quickly..." Lujanne sang, urging the moon phoenix to leave. "I'd like to get back to the Moon Nexus before someone desecrates the sacred lands. Let's go, Phoe Phoe!" The beast - Phoe Phoe - burst into the sky like reverse lightning. Daibazaal was, below, aflame.

Cole - the absolute madman! - jumped thirty feet, which is at least asking for a broken bone as tough as he is. Jay could be seen carrying Nya, and Kai was vaulting through the flames and cauterizing snake after snake. But no Cole...

"Brookstone!" Nothing. "Brookstone!"

A balcony tore down as if stolen by the supposed gods who built this singularity of chaos. Lloyd called out again. Nothing. Lujanne left the crypt, soaring through the clouds and over the smouldering death pit.

Lloyd tried again, wishing he weren't trapped in a magic hand. Nothing.

It felt like they'd been flying for hours. Nothing.

Lujanne dropped them off at a safe distance. Flew off towards the Moon Nexus. Delilah set him down.

Still, nothing.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any chapter beyond this can drink. Here's a link to the Google Docs version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IzzKTJc_iCmgdfO1lol_m-tDPQLt_kYXMY4lqHf--0g/edit?usp=sharing

They're... gone... And no one cares... Not even Nya, who Lloyd thought had such a great relationship with her brother. Not even empathetic Delilah, who'd grown close with Cole.

How could they?

They were at the edge of another forest, this one white with snow. Face down, it felt better than the crushing weight of the world. Two worlds, actually. Unless it's too late and ninjago is just a memory. How unsettling. Just his luck to wind up in a worse reality that outright wolf-in-sheep's-clothing-ed him.

There was some slushing through the snow, not that Lloyd cared. If one more reanimated, stone, or snake-like Twyl came to finish the job, so be it.

"...dramatic..."

"...tell him did you?"

"Nah... He didn't ask."

Lloyd was abruptly yanked from the snow and thrown over a shoulder, still blind from his ostrich days.

"Well he did a few things right, chaotic quiznak." Kai's voice! And reverberating against his torso, no less. "Got a hold of a few more Primal Stones and some cool new toys."

"Not to mention revived Wisp," Nya added, probably being the one gently tapping the back of his calf.

"Well I certainly glad y'all lived to not tell me the story," Lloyd grumbled, slipping out of Kai's grasp and batting the snowflakes out of his hair and face. Nice while it lasted... "So, who's ne-" SKYWING SKYWING SKYWING- "Another Skywing. Somewh-" STARTOUCH STARTOUCH STARTOUCH STARTOUCH- "Kenzie!"

Lloyd made for himself a blurry labyrinth of dead birch trees and falling snow. The ground was white, the sky was just off-white, the only contrast was inI the dead, dying, and rotting birch.

The sky is white instead of twilight...

"Who...?"

"I don't know," Delilah answered. She wasn't Twyl nor shadow, just the doll-like spectre Lloyd barely even recognized. "There's only a few entities other than us out here. Some are animals, one is Shard's... The other two I can't get a read on."

"What do you mean 'can't get a read on' them? You're a telepath!" Jay spluttered. "That's ridiculous. Stop messing around."

Delilah only shook her head. Lloyd's still throbbed in warning. He wasn't up for cosmic wolf 'hot or cold', though, so he climbed and perched on one of the blackened trees.

A thoughtful hum sounded behind him, and he whipped around to see a Skywing that looked an awful lot like this forest: horns twisted like dead branches, wings spotted like birch and folded tightly to camouflage even better with the trunk, twiggy and pale with hair like the snow below and eyes like the blue-grey tinted white of the sky above. Even the feathers along his sideburns looked crystallized. If it weren't for his soft smile - and the tell-tale eyes - Lloyd would've attacked.

"Come with me," he ordered, unfolding his massive wings and lifting into the air.

Nearly killing himself in the process, Lloyd hurried down the tree and followed the curious fellow. Faster... Faster... He could've seen Kenzie... Quiznak, go faster! He stumbled, having to realize on the fly that he'd turned into a wolf. On his own. No pain, no curtains of darkness, just him.

"Seems Wisp wasn't kidding about rewarding the Brave Hero!" Jay smiled, racing alongside him.

"Well we do need to get you to full strength in order to defeat Aaravos." There's Delilah, all shadow and carrying Nya on the other side. 

He was about to ask when he splashed into a slush of cold water. "Wh- oaaaAAAAK..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And if you look behind you, a wild Skywing has appeared!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I made Tinker a Sunfire in this story. Again, it was because we knew nothing about him yet and there was just no way I could correct it without essentially needing to rewrite a HUGE plotline. Sorry, y'all. My powers only work so well.

"Zane!" the pale, icy dragon called. Their Vessel was already looped around their tail.

"Friend of yours?" Kai asked from the edge of the frosted spring.

“Shard raised me. It was the least I could do to slay the fiends who stole his light,” the Twyl named Zane explained. “I had to avoid Aaravos with that damsel, though, which is why it took-”

“-Damsel? Who?” Lloyd blurted. Zane only gestured with a spinning golden shuriken. Following, there was a girl sleeping at the lake’s center, just under Shard. Looked just like Lloyd, too, with the almost purple complexion and frosty hair.

He changed human...ish... and waded through the frigid slush. Pinpricks shot up his legs, but that’s unimportant cause holy quiznak that’s Kenzie.

Kenzie, bright and brilliant Kenzie. Cold and motionless and eyelids not even fluttering.

“The girl is alive, Brave One. The assailant of the Twin Realms sought to punish her and thus used the refined Twyl Energy he calls ‘quintessence’ to sedate her. “He’s aware of her potential, as you should be, too...” The Triforce symbol - it’s on her hand, too! So that’s what that dream was... “Right you are, Brave One.

“I’ll watch over her until she comes to. For now I’ll need you to do something. You and the Sunfire Knight.” Kai bristled with pride. “I need you to go to the Breach. You’ll see it on the map. There shall be Sunfire Twyls there, part of that beast’s militia.”

“Sunfire Knights,” Nya whispered icily.

“Right you are, but there’s a forging Twyl all out of sorts. We believe saving him is the key to freeing the militia of their dark control.”

“Tink...” Delilah gasped. “He’s- alive?!”

“Yeah...” Kai answered quickly. Everyone - except Zane and Shard, of course - turned to him. “Nya made a formula to counter the quintessence Aaravos used on me. He made me think she was gone- I-I-I don’t even remember how she was just gone. That formula dulled the spell enough to see she was okay and we ran off in search of help. That’s how we got to Wisp and, eventually, you guys.

“But before we busted out I caught a glimpse of someone in their aggro, seriously outta control. When a Sunfire goes aggro for the first time it can take a while before its controllable, and it’s pretty painful and causes you to go crazy. I figured it’s a forger since they have no need, so it makes sense it’d be Tink.”

“Maybe something triggered it,” Cole suggested.

“Something did,” Zane confirmed, eyes icy with something burning inside. “That Tink fellow had run all the way here for help. I tried, but Aaravos was too fast... He blasted him with energy harvested from other nonconformists. I failed my mission...”

“What mission?’

Zane directed his invisible eyes to Lloyd, who admittedly flinched. “To protect those who cannot protect themselves. I was unable to save the forging Twyl, and I was unable to stop the Hypnobrai from damaging the first of the four Guardians.”

“I’ve already told you, child. Those were things you could never have done alone,” Shard assured, extending a snowflake wing to brush against Zane’s, who brushed back absentmindedly. “The girl will be safe here. There is not a single Serpentine left in these woods; Aaravos’ allies dwindle, and will surely diminish once Tink is safe.”

Nya cleared her throat, marching into the slush. Lloyd suddenly realized he couldn’t feel his legs. “That’s a great plan and all. Except that there isn’t one. It’s going to be difficult to get him back here for a cleansing, and I don’t have nearly enough of my solution, nor the ingredients to make it, nor is it potent enough. So what exactly are you expecting us to do?”

“Perhaps the Hypnobrai anti-venom will suffice,” Zane suggest. “Their subspecies was able to hypnotize on-mass. It was almost amusing how easy it was to stop them from targeting me and suggesting they attack one another.” He chuckled a bit. That was dark. “Their leader’s staff possesses an anti-venom much like the FangPyre and Venomari’s do, which, in this scenario, undos the effects of hypnosis and reversing the consequential susceptibility-”

“-Hey, Frozone! English!” Cole whined.

“It reverses hypnosis. It also happens to be the Moon Primal Stone.” Cole could not escape the icy glare. Heck, why keep describing Zane’s actions as frigid or cold when that’s basically his entire being?

“The Moon Primal is known for bridging life and death, appearances and reality. Of course it’d be the anit-venom,” Delilah muttered. “Alright, so that just leaves Lloyd learning to fight a Sunfire in hyper-aggro.”

She dared not touch the stone, but did float up to touch Shard’s snout. It was strange seeing a being of complete light and shadow acting as friends, but it was only a small fraction compared to whatever else Lloyd’s seen within the past... week?

It was decided Zane should keep the glass sphere. Delilah was out for obvious reasons and it was mentioned that since the moon and tides were correlated it might just be safer to keep it away from Nya, even if she carried the other three.

Cole and his trusty map led the way out of the cold desolation and towards what all the native Twyls - with actual memories of the place - referred to as The Edge of the Earth. Sciences were Kenzie’s thing and not his, but one thing that did make sense was that the breach was the highly guarded access point between realms. A few, smaller and less stable ones occasionally opened. Sometimes they led to realms other than Ninjago, but this one remained steady and constantly led to its sister realm. And on that topic, Zane insisted Ninjago still wasn’t safe. In his words, they’d cleaned the wound, now they must stitch it back up. So no, they are not in Ninjago, but rather its ghost as it heals.

How the quiznak are these people able to retain so much? Lloyd practically felt like Darroth trying to have a conversation with Kenzie. Of course, she’d done it on purpose so he and quite a few of the town parents would be too dumbfounded to bother her for a while. They all thought she was a lunatic, rambling in that accent they refused to believe was real.

But she knew how they viewed her and she didn’t want to assimilate so why not? No matter how hard they tried their kids still came by the botanical shop to learn about the void.

Apparently the Moon Nexus was on the way, which meant another encounter with Lujanne. He didn’t know what to expect, now she was free. And he was dying to see what a Nexus was. Luckily, he’d be finding out soon, and since luck was in his favor lately, Lloyd went out on a limb with himself and guessed he’d be pleasantly surprised.

And so he was.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ugh, thank the moon you’re finally here,” Lujanne greeted. “That wolf there’s been pacing the Nexus endlessly. He won’t even let me conjure my mind melters to guard against the greedy - oh, alliteration, haha - because he insisted you’d be coming.”

It’d been days - twilights, actually - of scavenging and sleeping when possible, in and out of towns. The spirit-lights were now just spirits, and about a third they’d encountered (not much by any means but still relevant nonetheless) were beginning to see the goings-on of this odd universe. And of those many were skeptical about allowing people who looked like those who attacked their humble homes into them now.

Therefore Lloyd just wanted to sleep. Maybe get a decent meal. Moonberry juice and the occasional catch were great and all but if Lloyd didn’t eat say bread or soup he’d end up hangry for life so just imagine how very not into Lujanne’s greeting he was.

Despite never being under these precise conditions - beaten, bruised, starving, and missing out on roughly weeks of actual sleep - Lloyd had never been able to avoid his duties. Why start now? So he adjusted his gi and shook out his body in an attempt to look and possibly even feel any sentiment of ‘bright-eyed and bushy-tailed’, and headed up the trail the illusionist pointed to. Simple cobblestone path through the enchanting trees and plots of blue roses. He wondered if Lujanne would miss one or two should he pluck them on the way back.

As he was considering this he found he’d wandered into what reminded him of a sundial, except there wasn’t anything in the center, but at each ‘hour’ there was a large flat-faced stone ruined over time. They shimmered through the rubble and overgrowth, hundreds of runes not quite discernible but definitely there. This place must’ve been well-loved for what seemed like erosion from palm marks over the deeply engraved runes. There were also columns of what could be compared to chiseled quartz, except Lloyd still wasn’t sure how much this realm replicates Ninjago. Though crumbled as well, their position along the edge closer to the path and the arched slab atop them resembled a bandstand.

And that bandstand overlooked a massive, glassy lake ringed by mountains. How are they expected to cross all that?

COSMIC COSMIC COSMIC COSMIC. There was a low growl behind him, not particularly threatening, but it did send the exhausted-beyond-thinking Lloyd on edge. The wolf snuck up from one of the engraved ‘hours’, coat the color of the blue sun and eyes the color of the red one. It shimmered like stars, with the light and depth of the cosmos.

“Dad?”

The wolf lunged.

☾

It actually didn’t hurt. The wolf stalked off, shifting into one of those walking carcases from before. Lloyd couldn’t bring himself to be disgusted or afraid. He could only stare. At the corpse soldier. At the castle grounds. At the spectre image of his sister vibrating in and out of focus. Gosh, he was way too tired for this.

“Your sister sent me to help you. There’s much at stake, which means there’s no room for any mistakes.”

“I’m a good fighter.”

“It’s in our blood. However,” and at this point a skeletal hand gripped the long, unkempt grey hair. There were only the glowing red lights in his sockets and hardly any flesh as he continued, “your plan is to save a man, not injure him. That will only make the others target you moreso.

“Which is why I’m going to introduce you to a lesson of mine: The Art of the Silent Fist.”

“Silent fist?”

“It’s a method of using your opponent’s attack against them. Now, we’re limited on time and the simplest way to teach you is by demonstration. Attack me.”

“What? No, we ju-”

“-Attack me, Son.”

So he did. Lloyd had both precision and ruthlessness; was it all from his time in Ninjago or was any of it muscle memory from Twilight? But no matter what he did - jabs, uppercuts, roundhouses - his father - his father! - managed to avoid every blow. Lloyd took an actually beating just knocking his own self out.

“In my defense I haven’t really slept so I’m-”

“- a lot clumsier. I’m aware. Kenzie was able to transmit quite a bit to me. Not only is she the rarest Twyl, she’s the Patron of Power. When you leave you’ll have a powerful ally.” Garmadon took to polishing his sword. “I dreamt of the day I’d get to meet you for an unimaginable amount of time. Even now I wish I’d been there to raise you both. Teach you. Love you. And I would’ve stopped at nothing to keep you safe...”

“What happened?”

Garmadon sighed heavily, though there’s no sign he had lungs. He aimed the red marbles in his sockets towards the beautiful night sky, the castle. “Perhaps another time, Lloyd. You need to head back now.”

“W-why?”

“Consider the Moon Nexus as a breach from Twilight to the dead. Just like going to Ninjago induced damage to you and your sister’s memories, there are consequences to staying here too long, especially since this breach is only semi-stable. Time is limited, and you shouldn’t become dead prematurely. But I’ll be here. Come back whenever you wish to speak with me. Your sister, too. And your mother and uncle. We’ve been speaking, but a family gathering would be nice.”

He was gonna say yes - he was, but the buzzing Kenzie-mirage nodded vigorously in his place, then appearing right at his side. Lloyd has seen the mating and birthing of yaks on accident, watched helplessly as a snake - a real one, not the serpentwyls, though they’re arguably worse - swallowed a poor rabbit whole. He’s seen reanimated corpses, gooey shadow figures, serpentwyls, and corrupted people he’d once known. But nothing prepared him for the queasy feeling in his stomach when Kenzie did that.

She took his hand, anyways. It still felt cold. At least that doesn’t change no matter what dimension they’re in.

☾

Delilah’s fiercely - and surprisingly, considering her nature - warm hand gave a gentle squeeze when Lloyd finally dared weight-lift his two-ton eyelids. Gosh he was tired.

“Well,” she chuckled, “you were only out for about ninety dobashes, Twyl time. Lujanne’s offered to let us stay for a movement should we require it.”

“What about Tink?” Lloyd grunted as he stood, leaning against Delilah for support.

She patted his back. “Tink ain’t going anywhere. You, on the other hand, need at least a whole quintant in bed.” Magic hand at the ready, there was no escaping her determination, no matter how playful. Lloyd lulled into sleep as he was carried away from the Nexus.

And as his sister was waking.


	24. Chapter 24

A quintant and a half later, Lloyd felt pretty good about saving the realms and all. He’d even taken up sparring with the guys while Nya and Delilah drew up a map of the breach.

“Say, Rookie,” Cole called as they all rested. “So you say that your sister - Kenzie, the Kenzie we’ve been looking for? - she’s up and running and apparently sending you into pocket dimensions? That-”

“-actually we call that ‘breaching’, but yes,” Nya corrected. “According to D, she’s practicing her abilities with Shard.”

“So why isn’t she here? If she can ‘breach’ Lloyd and their dad-”

“-it was only Garmadon.”

“Either way, why doesn’t she ‘breach’ here?”

“She did it in her sleep without knowing she could. She’ll come when she’s ready.”

“Shard is an excellent sensei. She’ll likely make it to us before we reach her.”

Lloyd remained silent, even though he was hopeful. He laid on his back to look at the sky, counting stars and scouring for constellations, watching the clouds drift by and breathing in the fresh mountain air. A firefly landed on his nose. It was endearing, but he swatted it anyway because it was itchy. He felt bad. It’s nature, and lately he’s become more and more attuned to it.

The lightning bug rested on his marked hand.

☾

Patience yields focus, Little One,” Shard repeated. Kenzie groaned, which caused the kind and beautiful dragon to light up with laughter. It only made her groan more. Apparently it’d been something he taught his child, Zane - who’d apparently carried her to the spring, and whom she knew quiznak about - when he was just learning to walk.

She may not know who Zane is, but she already wants to star-blast him in his teeth.

Frustrated, she sprawled on her back in the slush, hoping it would relax her. Pinpricks which already mounted her entire lower body now tickled her arms, ears, and part of her jaw dipped in frosty water. The simple dress she’d worn all flowy and fresh for summer clung damp to her skin.

With one groan of a sigh, she flicked her eyes to the stars - the real ones, not the ones in her head. The constellations were ones usually too far from Jamonikai to see in detail. The starmap instantly adjusted the cluster of the Birchwood Spring to Jamonikai. She reached a hand towards the stars; once been crippled, now it had that Triforce thing. ‘Patron of Power’. How could Papa say that? Delilah was the powerful one, not her. She was an alchemist, like Momma and Uncle Wu and...

Sigh. Snow drifted down. In the calm, a flake melted over the mark on her hand.

☾

All that remained were the cannisters of Quintessence. Some suits of armor poked through the rubble, melted into uselessness and without even the rankings discernable.

Surrounding the eight indestructible pitch spires was scorched earth and charred skeletons, most serpentine in nature. Even Grandfather was corrupted by the simple flames...

Aaravos swiped at the single tear leaking down his starlit face. Grandfather was charming, powerful, and witty, but he wasn’t brave enough to truly do what needed to be done. He wouldn’t kill someone for their Quintessence, otherwise he’d still be alive.

Someone cleared their throat behind him. He brushed away another tear. “Sire,” Pythor greeted. Why did he survive? Enraged and jealous, Aaravos whipped his gold-and-black eyes on Chumsworth, their supposedly most loyal servant.

He was shocked by what he saw. Pythor was the last Anacondrai, so it must be him, but... “...What happened to your scales?” Aaravos finished aloud. The colors inverted, the familiar deep amethyst that dominated his scale pattern only making up the web-like design he’d been so proud of. The rest was white, like an albino.

Chumsworth whimpered, glancing solemnly at his shaking hands. “Th... the Twyls attacked... they-they tracked down the prince and destroyed everything! The Skywing lapdog sssstruck me, and when I awoke nothing wasss left, and my ssssscales! Oh, my beautiful ssscales!” he slurred, grieved. He sniffled before gathering himself. “N-no matter, My Lord. The Tower still stands.” Aaravos smirked, grateful for thinking to disguise at least that part. If only Grandfather hadn’t been too proud to stay put...

“Vrepit sa.”

“Vrepit sa,” Chumsworth agreed, slithering carefully towards what appeared to be an oddly placed and strangely unused clearing.

With a careless flick of the Startouch’s fingers, the illusion melted away to reveal a very tall yet ovular building: The Tower. Pythor trailed closely behind, having nowhere to go, and together they ascended the hundreds and perhaps thousands of steel steps. Every few floors were strategically placed watch-rooms, where the guards would proudly bare their ranks, armed and ready. At least that’s what Father had said when he was younger, before Mother fled to Oriande, dragging him along.

He couldn’t be angry with her, though. Yes, he missed his father and no he didn’t believe what that strange Romelle had said, but he still loved his mother. Besides, Oriande - though maddeningly quiet and barren - was beautiful. Just as well, being the birthplace of alchemy, where Mother, Grandmother Honerva, and Grandfather Alfor had all learned and honed their skills. And where he did, as well.

His mother was the reason behind the flowing white locks. Sure, his father had them, too, but she was purebred royalty. Of the Altean tribe, only royalty possessed white hair. Still, Aaravos’ looks were heavily attributed to his father: the Galra purple skin, the bone structure - he’d been a mini-me of the Galran prince long before taking his Twyl form.

“So, you’ve finally to see whether or not I’m alive,” an elegantly handsome voice drawled from the wide window.

Wordlessly, Aaravos released flame from his hand. Chumsworth’s eyes bobbed as they followed the dancing flame from one candle to another around the broad room.

“I’ve come to visit, Father.”

Lotor drew away from the window, fingers lingering on the stone pane before sweeping behind him. With his sleek, slightly nubbish horns, the Galran prince - now emperor - met exactly his son’s height, minus the antler-like horns sharpened and glistening to diamond precision. Lotor never had the famous Galran height, but genetics were still genetics as father and son stood almost nose to nose.

The telltale gold and black melted from his eyes as he pulled his son into a fond embrace. Any doubt, fear, or grief felt after seeing his home for decaphoebs demolished melted along with it.

“Don’t worry, Aara. The universe can no longer doubt our strength.” The blue and gold of his eyes morphed back to gold and black as the new emperor stroked clawed fingers through his son’s locks. “Victory or death.”

“Victory or death.”


	25. Chapter 25

It grew hotter as the breach drew closer. Apparently, the breach between Ninjago and Twilight was conveniently located in a valley of lava.

The only amusing part about the heat is that, while even Jay - who grew up in a desert - had to strip off his mangled shirt, Nya and Kai were beyond unphased - by the heat. Kai was displeased by Jay’s stripping particularly, and Nya was trying to hide just how pleased she was.

You’ve heard of a waterfall. Introducing the lavafall 3000! Lloyd wasn’t sure where it came from - perhaps a volcano overhead - but it flowed over the stone overhang and oozed into a river further below the narrow walkway. If it weren’t causing his skin to prickle and threaten to peel off like a banana, Lloyd would call this place bewilderingly beautiful. It still was, but he could do without feeling like some crispy chicken.

He was wiping sweat with the sleeve of his gi when he heard the distinct sound of a brandished sword. It was Janai with her sunforge lighting up the space, her eyes, her armor, her circular Twyl markings. It was a strikingly beautiful image burning into him in the three ticks they had before she was close enough to be threatening.

There was an instant where the heat became so blindingly intense it felt cold. An instant where sunforge met sunforge right before his eyes. An instant where, as Lloyd gathered his bearings while avoiding the sparks, Kai’s eyes met his with a golden fury. An instant where time stood still and Lloyd could barely recognize Kai yelling at him to “Go! Find Tink!”

And when that instant was over, the wolf raced ahead, weaving through the Corrupted. Delilah’s familiar weight was all he needed. He rounded back, wrapping the knights in moon magic. The elastic resistance tugged.

“...Honey, I’m on fire, I feel it everywhere! Nothing scares me anymore!” Kenzie sang, splashing in the spring in Jamonikai. Her eyes were bright as something flashed into view.

He was holding an older man with a long, white beard and kind blue eyes. He smelled like oolong.

Another flash. This time it was his mother’s warm fingers as they gently combed through his fur.

The sounds of swords clashing and Rayla’s laughter.

Runaan’s carefree smile as Rayla impersonated Serpentwyls.

Delilah’s shadow puppets along the castle walls on hot summer nights.

Aaravos telling a story around a fire using alchemy of various sorts.

The air whooshed out of his lungs. Those long-forgotten memories tugged his eyes towards what looked like an entire galaxy in the palm of Delilah’s hand. The Star Primal. It’s warmth still ghosted his tingling fingers.

SUNFIRE. STARTOUCH. SUNFIRE. STARTOUCH - Kenzie.

She was there, fending off some large, aggro Sunfire Lloyd imagined was Tink. The remains of what might have blocked the rippling whirlpool and said whirlpool itself were carefully guarded by her footwork.

She’d watched Father’s demonstration. She’d learned almost as well as Lloyd did.

☾

Aeroblade in hand, Kenzie’s eyes darted around the breach. She’d finally managed to knock that possessive sphere out of her brother’s hands and into her BFF’s, who surprisingly didn’t react.

It was hot - a total sensory shocker after being in a winter wonderland for what Shard called a ‘movement’. She learned ‘Twyl time’ a lot faster than accurate blasting or breaching. But she was best at doing exactly what her twin did to destroy the seal on the breach: drawing runes.

She needed to think, quickly. Tink wouldn’t permit even a tick to recover from dodging in the extreme heat.

“The crystals...” the aeroblade whispered. Its energy intensified, a sudden breeze brisking her flushed and damp skin. Jammed into the walls of this breach were large crystals of that stuff her godfather called Quintessence, glowing an out of place blue. With very little delegation or effort on her behalf, the aeroblade spiraled towards them, toppling them into a fighting ring around the four.

Angered, the Twyl in question waved a blazing sword in the air.

☾

Delilah!”

“On it!”

Before Tink could land a mark, Kenzie was pulled away by one giant, magical hand. She and Lloyd clung to one other, antler-horns knocking against each other as Lloyd breathed in his sister.

Tink roared again. Kenzie removed a sphere of rolling waves from her dress pocket. “I might have one idea, but you gotta fight Big Chungus there.”  
“Would we have it any other way?” Lloyd teased as he drew Tink’s attention. “Tinky Wiiiinky! It’s me, Lloyd Garmadon! You’re after me, aintcha?”

Lloyd could hear the commotion of the Sunfire Knights as Tink brought down his sword. He rolled out of the way, the memory of Runaan shouldering a Sunfire around the fire flashing behind his eyelids, the squeal of delight suddenly recognizable at the same moment the clash of the sword registered in his ears. That Primal Stone is in capable hands.

The valley of lava rumbled in agony as the Sunfire Knights reactivated their aggros upon seeing Lloyd and the Twilight Princess and the Patron of Power attacking. Dragons help us. This is way too many, even for tough fighters like his friends. He reached for his cosmic sword. The magic hand laid on his a tick before waving ‘no’.

“Silent Fist,” his mind heard. “There’s a mask of some sort. Take it and maybe he’ll be more reasonable.”

Lloyd nodded and proceeded to do just that. For someone who wasn’t a trained fighter, Tink was giving him quiznak. Just outside the ring, Kai had managed grabbing the blazing sword and was dual-wielding behind a wall Kenzie was projecting. Cole was lobbing quintessence crystals and Nya paired with Zane and Jay’s wind spell launched sprays, ice shards, and blizzards. Delilah maintained the ring, simultaneously holding a group of Sunfires down and illusioning the rest to believe they were fighting.

Blood rushed between his ears as his skull cracked against something. He could hear Kenzie calling for him, Tink’s growl as he plucked Lloyd up by his neck, Kenzie’s shriek as the world turned black with pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... That was fun~


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say Lloyd had a bye-bye... But I put him back!

I’m really sorry, Your Highness.” Kenzie clutched Lloyd to her chest like a secret, curls hiding Tink from her lazer glare. She knew full well her old friend had no control when he hurt her precious brother. But sorries don’t fix him. Sorries don’t undo the damage, and they sure as quiznak don’t hold back the angry tears pouring onto Lloyd’s pale, bloody face.

Sorries also don’t stop your twin brother from dying in your arms.

Tink already knew not to approach the mourning. She’d lashed out with a million comets. Rayla’s face flashed into his thoughts. He absentmindedly reached into his toolbelt, feeling for that one thing he’d forgotten to give her. The silky white ribbon and a note asking her to “Please stay safe for me” - a note meant for both her and Runaan - brushed against his trembling fingers.

He rushed it. Crushed the herb, discarded it, smeared the oil above the boy’s brow. It changed from a clear amber to a foreboding murky green. This time he was unshielded to the molten glare.

-Lloyd breathed. He coughed, sounding like the Twyl-made breaches spitting out people. But he was alive.

☾

It was hot. Some things don’t change. Lloyd, however, much preferred his fantastic dream over the fire in his lungs, or the sting in his eyes.

Yes, he much preferred the cool mist of the Moon Nexus brisking his skin. The cold white of the Birchwood Forest as he waded through the slush with his father in a blurred race to the edge of the realm and back. Yes, he preferred the cool embrace of The Preeminent.

But it was Kenzie’s haunting form from when they’d first met their father that mattered quite a lot more.

It’s not as if this were a new concept. If Kenzie died, so would he. But if she lived, he’d fight. So the burn wasn’t as pleasant and the sticky thing crusted on his brow was uncomfortable, but his sister still needed him. And her relieved sobs and near crushing grip on him were all worth it in his opinion.

The next several doboshes were a blurry, muffled mess as he was lifted and lowered someplace not a lava pit. Honestly, Lloyd could’ve been underwater for all he knew, but he did pick up on a few things: ‘Destroy the Oni Mask’ - whatever that meant, if he even heard right - ‘Golden Armor’ was a lot clearer to understand, and then something about ‘using the breach’.

☾

He woke up much later. Delilah was nearby, nodded off, flickering in and out of shadowy visibility, and Lloyd might’ve been frightened if he hadn’t known and grown accustomed to this feature.

He tested his head, then his feet. His sword as well as the top half of his gi were on a table. He grabbed them for security as his eyes wandered the low-ceilinged cave. Looks like a sick bay.

Kai and Cole were outside getting some well deserved rest, something a lot of Sunfires were doing. Lloyd changed so that the padded feet of his wolf form might be more silent. 

The narrow terrace was treacherous with all the sleeping Twyls in the way, to say the least. Lloyd followed his senses to a place with a bit more noise, where he could see Tink hunched over a workbench. He was melting something, stirring the shiny golden metal in.

“...even work?” Lloyd heard Nya whisper. Jay and Kenzie also wore curious expressions. Zane was also present, only his frosted gaze was on Kenzie instead of Tink.

“‘A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.’ My Runaan told Rayla that a lot,” Tink answered, accent gruff with a delicate hint of romance. “You must have faith. The Golden Weapons were always meant to be forged into Golden Armor-” So I did hear right “-even though I was hoping it wouldn’t be necessary.

“In the end Aaravos is still my friend, as he is all of ours. But he has been infected by something dangerous in the wrong hands. Instead of forging the armor I created these weapons and scattered them before I was approached by our Startouch friend.” Kenzie visibly shivered. Zane - stoic as he is - reached a hand out to her, fingers entwining. “Aaravos desired ways to harness such pure energy, but when I refused he showed me that mask, and here we are.”

“You said that mask was an ‘Oni Mask’. Are there others?” Zane asked.

Tink shrugged solemnly as he effortlessly set up some molds. “There were three: the mask of vengeance, mask of deception, and the mask of hatred, which I wore. I’m not sure what the others do, but it’s good we rid ourselves of mine. I don’t wish to know.”

He paused, scratching his scalp. Lloyd wished he could see his expression. “I know that Runaan’s team of assassins are elite. They always have been.”

“They appear to be the last allies Aaravos has,” Kenzie added. Lloyd could see the cogs turning inside her head. “And if Runaan and Rayla are leading the pack...”

Jay gasped. “Exorcising them can stop the rest!”

“And Aaravos will stand alone,” Zane finished.

Tink nodded. “That’s good... I miss my family...” he added softly.

Kenzie tentatively took Tink’s hand in both of hers and offered a smile. “Everything’s gonna be okay. I promise.” Slowly, the two wrapped their arms around each other. Lloyd locked eyes with Kenzie, who stiffened. Quiznak. He’d forgotten.

Zane gently stopped her as she gathered stars in a trembling fist. She glared when he shook his head, pointing with his chin back at Lloyd, who self-consciously willed his body to morph. Her eyes widened in recognition as he did.

“Since when...?”

“Few movements, now.”

“Oh.”

“Y-yeah... So, uh, what about you? How’ve you been holding up?”

Kenzie scoffed. “I’ve been asleep most of the time.”

Lloyd scoffed back as he peered over to the molds. There was one for a helmet, a chestplate, and what looked like a shield. “Well, Eernie, I only wanted to see how you were adjusting.”

“With your eyes, Bert.”

“Man, jokes in Ninjago are so weird,” Tink chuckled, setting back to work. “Or - how is it you say-? Ah, ‘Weird flex but when life hands you apples.’”

Nya and Jay disapproved, chuckling as they simultaneously corrected, ‘lemons’. The Sunfire blinked incredulously, muttering something as he began working his magic.


	27. Chapter 27

"Our list of allies wears thin, Father.”

“No matter. I have a plan. Runaan and his team of Moonshadow assassins will not fail their mission. Isn’t that right, Runaan?”

“Justice will not be denied. Vrepit sa.”

“Good. Bring me-” Aaravos cleared his throat “-Pardon. Us. Bring us the children.”

Runaan’s gold-and-black eyes stared forward blankly as he saluted and dashed off to give his team the orders, wiping a stray tear.

☾

Lloyd lay in the sick bay, focusing on those memories the Star Primal brought earlier. They kept washing in and out like the tide, but the feeling of longing never faded.

“You ready?” Kenzie sat beside him, sprawling so her back curved over his stomach while they both stared at the awkward ceiling.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he sighed. “I wonder if dad’ll be waiting for us.”

“He did say...”

“Yeah... Wonder what he’ll tell us...”

“Only one way to find out.” Kenzie stood, hunched in this hole in the wall, star-freckled hand outstretched. He took it, and together again the Garmadon Twins headed out into the bustling breach. Delilah and Kai were waiting per Kenzie’s request, and Zane... insisted on coming.

“Show us what you got, Superstar,” Kai smiled.

Lloyd watched as his sister took a deep breath, eyes and hair faintly glowing as she carefully drew a rune Delilah had made a few times. It glowed, an inkiness spreading from beneath her feet to pool underneath her four companions.

He’d almost forgotten how it felt to dematerialize into the cosmos. The way the stars streaked pass his eyes as his essence shot towards a new place in the universe.

For a moment he wondered if his sister took them to the wrong place. His legs were both prickling and water-logged, as if he’s left the sweltering breach to be once more in the slush of Shard’s spring. But no, they were just outside Lujanne’s retreat in the Moon Nexus.

“If wisdom is what you seek, I will do my best to fake it,” chuckled the only voice to relish in the desolation. Lujanne appeared a moment later. “Oh, the Chosen Ones. How nice of you to check in.” She stroked the petals to one of her blue roses nearby. “It was awfully quiet since you left. That wolf friend of yours came back some quintants ago. I trust you know the way.”

Lloyd thanked Lujanne for opening up her post once again, and led the way down the path through the bushes of blue roses. Soon enough they were at the Nexus. Fallen pillars behind them, the moon reflected in the lake before them. It’s almost more beautiful than the first time. Delilah and Kenzie spun around in the center, giggling like school girls. Lloyd realized how much Yin and Yang they were in this moment. Delilah’s voice was deep but she’d throw her head back in wheezing laughter. Kenzie, on the other hand, had a higher voice, and she’d lower her head to cover those snorting giggles like a kid. They complete each other.

Lloyd stepped into the clockwork circle and hugged his girls. Within that moment of peace Lloyd somehow heard the low growl of his father and squeezed a bit tighter.

☾

“Lloyd! I see you heeded my request... Thank you.” Nothing had changed about the Fallen King since the last time, except maybe his disposition; it was sunnier. The skeletal man, who’d eagerly trained Lloyd, now tentatively reached a boney palm out to Kenzie. “You look like your mother...”

Lloyd had to agree. Since their misadventures in the breach, Kenzie had notably updated her hairstyle, opting for a more industrial braid twisted from several smaller ones. It looked very much like Misako’s - mom’s - only far more intricate given Kenzie’s war on boredom. She’d also swapped her rag of a dress to Sunfire armor “mixed with a Startouch flare,” as Tink had described. Supposedly it would protect her while allowing her to move and cast runes freely, an object Tink had waited an awful while to give her.

“I’m glad all three of you are here, actually,” Garmadon announced, jaw contorting into a weak smile. “I know why Lord Aaravos - Prince Aaravos, as it were that Zarkon has entered this realm - is hunting you three in particular.”

“He had no intent to kill me...” Kenzie whispered, twisting the end of her braid.

“No, he didn’t. He means to leave you three alive. It’s a complicated story, but my wife and brother have informed me a great deal.

“Long ago, the vast universe was nothing but unhindered chaos, until the gods appeared: Ganondorf, the Patron of Power; Zelda, the Princess of Wisdom; Link, the Courageous Warrior. No one knows from whence they came, but they began shaping reality into sixteen realms. In truth, they meant to create fifteen, so they all had an equal share. However, as they were devising ‘Ninjago’ they grew bored and worked on other things, but left the realm to its course, forgetting it entirely: The Twilight Realm.

“When they returned to realm-making they made Ninjago, forgetting everything that makes Twilight and Ninjago different and only keeping what’s the same. That’s why the universes parallel and reflect one another. When the gods realized their mistake, they agreed never to leave it alone ever again, and sent their spirits into those of their choosing.

“Once upon a time, that was my brother, wife, and I. Now such blessings belong to you three, which is why you’re sought after. If Aaravos corrupts you, the realms will fall to your whims, and the quintessence within every creature will be stolen for his sick agenda.”

There was a stunned silence as the three Chosen Ones contemplated this story. Lloyd knew he and Kenzie were, respectively, Courage and Power, meaning Delilah had to be Wisdom. Of course she would be: since the moment Lloyd had woken up in the Twilight Realm he’d relied on Delilah’s knowledge of just about everything.

“So what about the Oni Masks?” Kenzie suddenly asked. “If the original gods cherished this realm so much, why does such dark power exist?”

“They didn’t create them,” Delilah answered, averting her eyes.

“She’s right,” the Fallen King continued. “As time went by, tribes of Twyls formed, each specializing and manipulating quintessence and the Primal Sources in various methods. The Bulmera were a humble tribe of Earthblood Twyls connected to stones and minerals. They harvested bounties of quintessence, use what was necessary, then returned the surplus to the land.

“Those of the Olkari tribe were Earthblood, Sunfire, and Oceancrest in nature. Together, they manipulated the primitive earth into advanced cities. But they also respected quintessence and the order of things.

“Altean and Galran tribes comprised of Cosmics, Moonshadows, and Skywing Twyls. King Alfor and his Altean people were quite scholarly, while Emperor Zarkon and the Galrans were conquerors.

“There was a time where the two mightiest tribes were kin, but somehow upon coming in contact with a new Altean discovery of quintessence, Zarkon began to go mad. He and his new queen hungrily conquered as much of the realm as possible, and war broke out among the tribes in an effort to combat it. But Zarkon’s wife was Altean, an alchemist able to manipulate the quintessence in dark ways.

“The Dragon Spirits you’ve met took such an ability away and sealed it into the very mineral your friend smelts into armor. It’s good you’ve found it before it ended up in the wrong hands. The Galra who created those masks wanted to compensate for the lost power. Now go, before the breach destabilizes. I’ll see you again soon...”

☾

They were gods.

The cup of tea Lujanne offered rested uneasily in Lloyd’s aching palms. He stared deep into the void of leaf juice, pondering whether being connected to the Triforce in any capacity was something he could get used to.

So far, all signs point to no.


	28. Chapter 28

"Well, since we have no way of finding Runaan and Rayla, perhaps we can go to the castle? We might find clues to their whereabouts there, no?”

Kenzie was well aware of her brother and best friend’s wariness after discovering the truth about the Triforce. Lloyd wouldn’t speak, Delilah was distant. But whether they accepted it or not, they both knew what needed to be done: they had to stop Aaravos. Hopefully it wouldn’t end in bloodshed...

“I shall follow your lead, Milady,” Zane answered. He’d brought her to safety, and despite her initial urge to knock his teeth out, they actually got along just fine. He’s an odd one - no doubt - but so am I.

“It’s a solid plan, KZ. Ready when you are,” Kai agreed. He was a Sunfire Knight once corrupted by Aaravos, but was cleansed by a concoction made by his sister, Nya. She was cool, too. Unlike her brother she’d become and Oceancrest with a brilliant mind, a form she’d only taken on when her brother was in danger. She was playful, but took no nonsense, and refused to be treated like a damsel in distress.

“If it’s the castle you’re headed for, take these,” Lujanne offered from the shadows. Clinking like coins in her weathered hands were shimmering purple stones, one per traveller. “These are moon opals, gems embedded with the power of the Moon Primal. I doubt you’ll need them, but they’re piling up in my Nexus. They’re used for-”

“-Illusionary camouflage, as well as moon spells. Soft and powdery, one must crush a single opal while uttering the incantation, ‘mystica-arbora’,” Kenzie interrupted. Lujanne only grimaced, perhaps not having met many cosmics still practicing alchemy.

They quickly left, Lloyd still frustratingly quiet - even going so far as to shift into that beast form - and Delilah being awfully aloof. Kenzie couldn’t believe how ridiculous they were being; personally, shaping reality sounds exciting. Nonetheless, she rode comfortably on Lloyd’s back.

☾

Courage. It was something he’d been praised for back in Jamonikai, wrangling runaway cattle. Something Janai had. Something Rayla had. Something Runaan and basically everyone he’d met had. Something Lujanne said he’d been gaining after the initial fright of entering unfamiliar territory.

Could he be the god of it?

An open field. That was far more suspicious than the closed terrain they constantly perused. At least an ambush could only strike from the front or back. Here, anyone could attack from any angle, even above in the scattered trees.

“Hang on. I recognize this...” Kenzie reached a starry hand towards the pruney trunk of the dark timber. Jabbed into it was an arrow decorated like that of a royal guard’s. Its silver tip pinned a tuft of braided, beaded white, eerily familiar... So naturally he braced his paws and sniffed it.

...Rayla’s laughter, the clash of swords. Her aroma seemed to weave a trail around the field and city walls. HE’d recognize that castle anywhere: he’d raced its rooftops to magic beacons through hoards of moon phoenixes. But the main entrance is heavily guarded, and shadows loomed not too far away. The trail will do...

The way in was through a small hole in the ground beneath the wall. Rayla’s scent puddled there, however, it was too narrow a squeeze. So Delilah did her shadow-morph thing, pulling Kai up by the nape. Zane took the high route, carrying Kenzie bridal style despite her protests. Just gotta squeeze...

Yeet. The world went gyro as a force hauled him over the wall. Oh right, D’s not heartless. Lighthearted, but not heartless.

“Thurkiitu, the Twilight City,” Zane explained as Lloyd looked about. “I sense trouble has run amok here.”

“Bird Boy’s right,” someone answered.


	29. Chapter 29

Looking into the dark alleyway, Lloyd could hardly make out anything unusual. No spirits, no shadow beasts. But whether he could see it or not, they’d all heard the voice. MOONSHADOW MOONSHADOW MOONSHADOW.

“Thurkiitu has been the home of many for decades, and it’s always gotten its water supply from Styxx. But that washed-up old port suddenly can’t provide. Poof! No Twyl can bathe, drink, clean, nor farm.” The voice was charming and sophisticated. It wasn’t Aaravos, but Lloyd kept his guard up. “You look like a lively crew. Perhaps you can travel there and solve the matter.”

“Sorry, pal,” Kai spoke up. “We’re only here in search of some assassins. Seen any?”

The voice hummed thoughtfully. Sublimating from the shadows was one colossal man, surely able to scale the city walls unaided. Kis skin was sunburnt yet pulled taut against his chiseled features. His dark hair twisted into a raven ponytail crowning his blistered skin, and he wore nothing but deep green armor.

“Where are my manners? I go by Nadakhan.” The fur along Lloyd’s spine only stood up more. “I’m a Moonshadow Twyl with a knack for... star magic. See, I’m able to grant wishes, like genie in child’s book. But before you go willy nilly, I must remind you that everything comes at a price. Still interested?” Lloyd could make out the devilish grin. Nadakhan can’t be trusted...

But he can be useful...

Lloyd barked an agreement, unwilling to shift in case the genie recognized him.

“Smart dog. I suggest you travel to Styxx. It’s not far. When I see the water restored, I shall grant a wish.”

☾

“So we all agree that slimeball’s a jerk, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Yup.”

“Ohhhh yeah.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it. I mean who the quiznak sends a bunch of kids to handle plumbing?” Delilah once again made herself at home on Kai’s shoulders. “His thoughts were hard to read, as if they were in another language. I don’t trust a mind I can’t read.”

“How does a Moonshadow specialize in cosmic alchemy?”

“It is likely,” Zane began, “that Nadakhan travelled to an ancient city where all Twyls originated. Oriande may be difficult to locate as the exact breach is unstable, but in the event he did reach it, acquiring ancient alchemical knowledge would grant rather exceptional abilities. Granting a wish would be trivial.”

“Oriande... I- remember...” Kenzie fumbled with her words, the quintessence she’d supposedly been given working into her mind’s mechanisms. “Aaravos mentioned Oriande. ‘...beyond a graveyard of those seeking knowledge...’ He mentioned when I was younger that he’d take me there one day. He grew up there...” Her breath became shallow as memories forced their way in. She hid in Lloyd’s shaggy fur, most likely embarrassed in her lapse of strength. She weakly began humming her song, the one that existed in both Lloyd’s revived shards of memory and in their tree hut in Jamonikai. Once again he found himself wondering if that song was her tugging at the strings of her mind’s tapestry.

☾

Vargas later Lloyd was just trudging into a town balanced on stilts. Well, technically it was logs and planks, but Kenzie couldn’t shake the possibility of a misstep onto a rotten board, plunging down maybe twenty feet into a waterless lake...

Styxx was home to many Twyls looking and dressing like the Galran soldiers from the torn and stained tapestries in Daibazaal. By the scars and unkemptness, perhaps they were. She slid off her brother’s back, lazily following the zig-zagging strings of lanterns from one building to another. As the others were ahead of her dawdling, she snuck another peak towards the tables where the maybe-Galrans sat finishing dinner. They’d been chattering as friends and brothers prior to spotting the newcomers.

A war-torn Twyl approached - a Galran dressed in midnight blue robes similar to Runaan’s - hands extended in peace. Kenzie was the only one to notice amongst her friends, which was odd since De could read minds. It is late, though...

“Greetings.” Where his horns should’ve been were only stumps. Kenzie wondered whether it had hurt, and whether it was sensitive there. “I am Kolivan, leader of the Blades of Marmora. We’re a resistance group.”

“To whom?”

“The late emperor, and to his legacy as it were. We may be of ancient Galran blood, but the Blades reject power which does not seek peace.”

“I thought Zarkon wiped out all the tribes.”

“The blood of the tribes still exist, I assure you.” There was a long pause as Kolivan and Kenzie did nothing but stare at one another. He had no pupils, no irises, just pale yellow sclera and tired-looking eyes. It was unsettling, but nonetheless more welcome than the eerie gold-and-black of Zarkon and Aaravos.

But they weren’t always like that...

“You belong to the Triforce,” Kolivan eventually pointed out. “The Blades of Marmora watch over it. Do you know of anyone else bearing the Mark?”

“‘Watch over’?”

“Guide, protect, and support. In a previous generation the Chosen Ones became corrupted and stripped of their power. Since then we seek out the Triforce and assist where possible. Again I ask: Do you know of anyone else bearing the Mark?” KEnzie twitched a nod. “Your companions.” It wasn’t a question, but Kenzie still nodded. The Blade leader stroked his chin, seeming to glance at some hooded and masked figures. “I will address the other Blades. But we do need assistance, ourselves.”

“Styxx is all dried up. We came to help.”

“Fate intended our meeting. Return here when you and your colleagues have rested. You may introduce yourselves then.”

Kenzie nodded and scampered off in the direction of the building her friends had wandered into. Delilah sat outside, barely visible as she was mostly asleep, yet conscious enough to beckon with that magic hand which extended from her silver-lined braid.

“Would’ve been more comfortable using the Beacon,” Kenzie smirked, tugging a shadowy arm her shoulders.

“Shuch... er... quiz’n’k...”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna warn about some necromancy/body building. Lol. All good things.
> 
> Can you believe we're doing chapter 30 now? I have something evil planned sooooooon 😈 Things will only continue to get spicy from here on out. Happy reading!

"So, who are we meeting, exactly?” Kai yawned, adjusting his armor as Kenzie led everyone back the way they’d come.

“Last night I met someone who wants to help us. Doesn’t hurt to check them out,” Kenzie explained, adding, “I’d much rather trust him than Nadakhan.” They arrived at the seating area from before, but several hooded and masked Twyls stood, towering with hands on the hilts of their blades. They weren’t Sunforge blades, but they were engraved with moon runes. Quiznak. Kenzie waved at them. “Greetings, Blades. My name’s P-... Princess Kenzie Garmadon, and these are my friends and brother, Lloyd. Kolivan instructed me to come back here.”

Their hands all twitch, moving away from their knives, but Delilah could still sense their distrust. One of the extremely tall ones approached, aura deadly calm. Thace just returned to the Marmora base...

“There’s a thief among you. Why do you have our blade?” Thace removed the dark hood and ominous mask as he spoke, revealing the mature face of a Galran. He directed his pale yellow gaze towards...

...Zane...

☾

"I’m afraid you’re mistaken. We only arrived last night - or whatever time it was.”

“And yet your Skywing possesses one of our luxite blades, indicating he either is a Blade, or he’s killed one.”

Everyone looked at Zane, Kai even nudging him forward. He and Kenzie locked eyes. She took a few steps forward.

“Zane’s oath is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. He’s only recently left his home in the Birchwood Forest, and he’d never kill a good person! It doesn’t add up. If what he said was false Delilah would’ve told us immediately.”

The Skywing in question stepped around Kenzie, revealing the blade in question; it looked the same as the ones the Marmorites had. The one in charge held out a patient hand. Zane, however, gripped the handle tightly, reminiscent. “I was raised by Shard, Dragon Guardian Spirit of the Frozen Wasteland. He told me I was left there with the blade, and I’ve never parted with it.”

All this over a dagger, Kenzie thought impatiently.

Through the Blades appeared Kolivan, leading a smaller group - by number, for these were giants - to the front. “We meet again.”

This time Lloyd spoke up. “No offense, but we really need to clear up the mess with Styxx so we can get back home, so either leave my friend alone, or we’ll just do this without your help.”

Kolivan looked among the five, his stern, tired face twisting into round o’s of fascination. He recomposed. “We are the Blade of Marmora, sworn to dismantle Zarkon’s empire of conquest, and to protect the Triforce.” With his words he leaned a bit forward from the torso, fist placed against his heart in an audible thump. The motion caused a thin, white braid to sling over his shoulder. “Thank you for bringing the Chosen Ones. As for the dagger, we cannot ignore this absurdity. A team will join you to the top of the water source, but we will keep the Skywing here for trial. Should he be a legacy member, he will prove it. If not, he shall be persecuted.”

“Woah, hey, that’s our friend!” Kai shouted.

“Fear not, friends,” Zane smiled. “This is all a part of my destiny. We will see each other soon.” He went around, gently hugging his friends one by one, lingering at Kenzie. “I made an oath, Milady, and I intend on keeping it.”

☾

"They were once my most trusted advisors, in life. No - they were my friends. I traveled the realm before returning to the lands of Altea to marry your mother... Us five discovered so much about our world, it would take movements if not phoebs to teach you.”

“Alone, perhaps.”

“Does this spell truly work?”

“The Quintessence mixed with my blood should do the trick. All I ask is that you focus on each and every one of them. Their heights, appearances, personalities - as much as you can remember.”

Lotor nodded, taking a deep and hesitant breath. He closed his gold-and-black eyes, imagining them.

Acxa. Calculating. Intelligent. Calm. Loyal. Honorable. He pictured her petite frame, her striking eyes, indigo hair, blue lips. Should anyone ever question him, Acxa was the first to put them in their place.

Zethrid. Wild. Stubborn. Strong. Coming to mind were her muscles and multicolored blue and pink locks. She was both loyal and ruthless, and her resourcefulness on the battlefield was always welcome.

Ezor. Friendly, nimble, stealthy - all are words to describe her. Lotor secretly enjoyed her childishness. She was fun to be around, and her disposition made her less suspect to be viscous.

Narti. He’d never forget her eyeless, insectoid face. She had a mouth yet never spoke. Obedient and forever silent. Even when I killed her.

“Do it.”

As instructed, Aaravos dragged the dagger across his own palm, blood dripping onto the Quintessence powder. Lotor held the bowl with shaking hands as the mixture was stirred and divided evenly on the tower floor.

There was a spell his son used, one where the words distorted as they were spoken backwards. Dark Magic. Despite the drawbacks, it’s proven useful.

The Quintessence shimmered. Father and son smiled, welcoming their creation.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: I originally wrote this story for only Nii-San to read, and because I'm a horrible friend who wants to give her frequent heart-attacks, this story gets occasionally dark/scary/morbid. So for this chapter, there are ghosts. There was a murder. As usual, it won't take long, but I do wanna warn anyone who's sensitive to that sort of thing that I'm a monster. Beware.
> 
> Also, if you like Delilah (who wouldn't?) this chapter gives her a lot of background/development. Gamer terms: she got a lore update. So there's that.
> 
> Read at your own risk.

Kolivan had sent forward those he came with: a giant among giants named Antok who’s role was along the lines of being both Kolivan’s bodyguard and assistant; Ulaz, a spy; and two particularly silent Blades named Ilun and Vrek. In fact, they were all quite reserved. Maybe it’s a Galra thing - no, Zarkon was pretty talkative. Maybe it’s a Marinara thing... Oh, what are they called?

Delilah chuckled softly. Her shadowy purple eyes flickered Lloyd’s way.

As they picked their way up a mountain trail, winding beside a dry river, Ulaz explained that the water which flows through Styxx and Thurkiitu actually comes from a sacred lake home to a tribe of Bulmera and Olkari. “The Blades of Marmora have sworn to protect all remaining tribes endangered by Zarkon’s influence,” he stated, finally coming to a clearing within the mountainous jungle.

Lloyd imagined the Earth Primal Stone, how green and alive it was. This place was a remote paradise, thriving with Earthbloods. Some of the older generation looked statuesque or insectoid in nature. The younger ones look like Cole, still maintaining some of their ancient features. They played with floating prisms and rock-like animals, some like puppies and others like mammoths. They were farmers and engineers, living in perfect harmony.

Except one thing: the entire reserve was frozen.

Kenzie made her way towards a rocky giant slapping palms with a petite insectoid at the time of the freeze. She gingerly touched their conjoined fingers, her own quickly withdrawing, blue and shaking. “They’re beginning to crystallize. We’d better hurry.”

“I... only know one sun rune by heart,” Kai admitted. “I doubt it’s enough to unfreeze the whole place.”

Lloyd met Kenzie’s gaze. It’s all coming together.

☾

"Light a torch for Delilah and the Blades to thaw the tribespeople,” Kenzie commanded, meanwhile taking the Sunforge from Kai’s belt and offering it to her brother. “You touch this to one part of the lake. Kai will take another position. I’ll mimic him.”

Ulaz lifted a hand. “I can also mimic. I will assist.” He took another quadrant of the lake. It was frozen solid, glazing its clarity, but there’s definitely something down there.

Lloyd was already working to melt the ice. Ulaz and Kenzie nodded towards the Sunfire. The golden lines along his face drew into the thin line of his pressed lips. The expression on his paled face was wide-eyed and unsure; it wasn’t the confident, smug look part of the Kai Package. Slowly, he lifted a finger and drew the blasted rune. Ulaz and Kenzie’s hair and eyes lit up, ruffling as they began scripting the spell, Ulaz in graceful arcs and bows of his wrists, Kenzie carving it more angularly with the force of her whole body behind every motion.

She wanted to deny it was how Aaravos does it. She wanted to deny their connection.

She couldn’t undo the past.

The lake relinquished its final iceberg, releasing a relieved sigh across the tribe. Water began rushing down the mountain and the levels in Styxx began to rise as Delilah and the Blades piled together their burning branches to build a bonfire. The dazed Bulmera-Olkari gathered around, some of the elders still eyeing the Blades with a hint of curiosity.

“Hey! Thanks, guys! It feels pretty great to move my toes again,” a male Stone Earthblood called, shaking hands with his rescuers. It appears he was the one from earlier with the tiny friend. He was delightfully friendly and even offered them a home-cooked meal, which no one could refuse since it’s been so, so long since any of them had a proper meal. Lujanne’s illusionary feasts of worms will never, by law, count.

“Hunk is possibly the best chef in our tribe. Even the Blades of Marmora think he’s amazing.” The semi-insectoid girl made herself comfortable where they were. “I’m Pidge, by the way. Hunk and I go way back. Engineering’s kind of our thing, so if you ever need help we’d gladly do so.” Buzzing around her was a metallic pyramid with a singular glowing... eye? It frequently disappeared and reappeared with samples of flowers, leaves, stones - anything the boney claw it protruded could carry - and Pidge would smile, pat its head, and bag or inspect the new object as she spoke.

Hunk came back, proudly carrying multiple trays on each arm for everyone in the reserve, even putting some in a special canteen for the Blades as well as the heroes’ friends.

☾

Please...

It was an odd thought, one unfitting of the merry environment. Two mental voices singing the same lament, just begging to be heard. Which is why she was alone in the forest.

Most voices sound as clear as a normal conversation, whispered directly to her pointed ears. Typically Delilah forgot it was literally all in her head, and it never failed to fill her with a twinge of something nasty whenever someone became disgruntled with her ability.

The voices she was following... If she had to describe it, she’d have a hard time choosing between ‘rapidly mumbling’ and ‘echoing’. There was never such a voice she couldn’t understand like this in Twyl, not since she got her Twyl Form.

While she followed the white noise Delilah began thinking about her brother. Neuro had raised her since she could remember, which etched into her very being the look of his reverse-skunk hair and golden eyes - not like the corrupted, just a soft, light honey color. As he got older he grew out a ridiculous goatee because he couldn’t get it to grow anywhere else, and she’d make fun of it whenever she got the chance.

Neuro had always been tuned in on her thoughts. It was his own form of magic that always entranced Delilah, to the point that she begged him to teach her. Runaan and Rayla couldn’t do it, and she wanted to be special too so that maybe her brother would stop travelling outside Thurkiitu without her, doing... well, she was never able to find out.

Our daughter, the mumbling minds moaned, appearing before Delilah suddenly. It was a couple of Olkari tribespeople, feet not touching the floor, greyish-green skin swollen unnaturally and discolored around the lips and eyeless sockets. Our daughter... Frozen in place, Delilah could only shut her eyes to the nightmare. A bandit crew came to our village disguised as weary travellers... They began using wicked magic to steal Quintessence from our land and our people. We tried to tell the elders... but they dragged us into the lake... Harumi... She is not well... She was supposed to warn the Queen... Please... If we had life to even trade for her safety, we would gladly offer... Please... SAVE HER! they bawled. The sound was awful, twisting Delilah’s insides with fear.

Keeping her eyes closed tightly, she tuned into Kenzie’s wavelength to guide her back, begging for it to block out the wails of the drowned Olakri. Tears streamed down her face as she blindly fumbled through the jungle, stumbling into a warm body and screaming.

“Woah, woah, hey! It’s just me!” Kai’s voice barely registered as the wailing couple still tortured her ears and eyes and everything. “Delilah, what’s wrong?”

☾

"Shay says your telepathic friend found the ghosts of two Olkari from our tribe who want to make sure their daughter is okay. She’s really shaken up, but I promise, Bulmera are excellent healers,” Hunk assured, offering a concerned smile. Prior to Delilah being discovered missing, Pidge had dragged over the stoney female with pale yellow eyes - like many of the tribe, actually - and introduced her as Hunk’s girlfriend, so Lloyd felt a little better hearing the news from someone he could trust. That doesn’t do much, though. He’d genuinely grown to like Delilah and feel legitimate concern for her well-being. Not because they had a past or because she’s his sister’s best friend, but because she was his.

To see Delilah so fragile and broken in Kai’s arms shattered just about everyone in the reserve. After Shay’s explanation, the Blades quickly left to inform Kolivan. Until they returned, the Chosen Ones were to stay put. No one - not even the Bulmera-Olkari - was allowed to leave the reserve.

“Harumi Jade, daughter of the infamous Vern and Ellunia Jade,” Pidge scooted in, offering a tray of clay mugs filled with tea. The trio gladly received the offering, trying to wash down the bile. “They were, like, the leaders of their gen in civil duty. I’d hate to be in her shoes.”

Hunk, Lloyd, Kenzie, Kai - they all nodded half-heartedly over their tea. Lloyd looked up at the stars, wondering what his father might say or do to help the situation.

For one, he’d stop moping. Lloyd set down the mug and looked into the low flame. Steady.

Secondly, he’d have a plan. “Where would Harumi go in a situation like this?” he asked, looking to Pidge, Hunk, and Shay, who’d just sat down.

“They were political junkies, so probably to Thurkiitu where the Royal Family lives,” Hunk suggested. “At least, we think they still live in Thurkiitu. After that crazy Startouch got locked up there hasn’t been much word on them.” The twins glanced knowingly at each other. “Hey, what’s with the look? You know something we don’t here?”

“We’re the Garmadon Twins,” they answered in unison.

There was a collective gasp as the tribe sorted this out. They’ve lived on the reserve for generations, never actually thinking they’d get to interact with the outside world other than through the Blades. To think they were getting to meet royalty... They excitedly chattered into the twilight, eventually settling down to rest until the Marmorites returned with news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of my notes from the docs version mention that Nadakhan is a Moonshadow-Cosmic/Startouch hyrid, which is why his description and behavior are drastically different from other Moonshadows. I also want to inform y'all that MOST of the BoM are Moonshadow assassins (as were Lotor's generals) but as Zane says, it's always possible to learn new tricks. Just because Startouch just so happen to be the best at mimicking others (because it's just in their nature) doesn't mean no one else can do so. Since in VLD Ulaz was a spy really good at blending in, I figured he would definitely have the mimicking ability.
> 
> Another detail only seen in the docs is that when Delilah is reading minds, it starts off in her color, highlighted by a light shade of whoever's 'speaking', gradually changing to their color only if/as they take over. It's a cool method in my opinion.
> 
> If you care to learn more about the method to my madness, I suggest you look at the docs version:  
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IzzKTJc_iCmgdfO1lol_m-tDPQLt_kYXMY4lqHf--0g/edit?usp=sharing


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenzie makes a sick joke because I write sins not tragedies...

"So it seems you told the truth. The manner in which you wield the luxite proves your Galran heritage,” Thace finally said. Zane was trying to exhibit the willpower, humility, and discipline of the other Marmorites - key traits, as he was told - but he’d spent a whole quintant fighting infinite waves of skilled warriors without so much as a dobosh in between. “By the way you fight, and your story of origin, it’s likely you’re at least half Galran, but a legacy member all the same. We welcome you, Blade Zane.”

There was a commotion as the team Blade Kolivan had previously sent with the Chosen Ones - and Kai - returned without them. Zane heard their report about a frozen lake and Olkari ghost hauntings.

He heard that Kenzie needed him.

☾

Another few vargas and Kolivan had brought out a patrol of Blades to keep the tribe safe - moreso than usual - and declared he, Blade Antok, and Blade Zane would be escorting the Chosen Ones back to Thurkiitu.

At the mention that Zane had passed his trial, Kenzie squealed and hugged him tightly, to which he returned enthusiastically. He sobered at the release. “I sense... sadness... loss... fear...” he breathed, eyes closing as he absorbed the atmosphere. Lloyd watched intently as something came into focus. Something much like the Dragon Guardians. Something similar to the Blades. Something... Zane, in all his striking calmness and sensibility. 

His aura.

☾

The journey back to Thurkiitu was a lot faster now that the Castle City, Styxx, and the reserve were all in Kenzie’s map to breach between. The Blades were unphased by the mysterious beauty of the void; Ulaz - though actually a Moonshadow - had picked up the mimicking skills of Startouch AND, like Delilah - seeing as she’s also a Moonshadow - could breach, among other useful skills.

They arrived at the hole in the wall, which actually seemed like a better idea than possibly landing on someone. Or bumping into Nadakhan.

Lloyd wasn’t sure how to avoid him or the subject of the genie. How will Kolivan respond? But he’d soon find out, as the devilish grin grew right back on the golden face. “You held up your end of the deal. What do you wish for?”

“You bargained with Nadakhan?” Kolivan fumed. “Never trust a djinn!”

“Oh, Kolivan,” the alleged djinn pouted. “They didn’t know. They were looking for assassins, I sent them to Styxx. Everyone wins.” Lloyd growled, teeth bared at Nadakhan, who tensed the tiniest bit. Good thing I remembered to shift. “As it stands, you have two wishes left-” Antok pinned the armored genie to the wall.

“Your crew wreaked havoc in the reserve,” Kolivan pointed out. “But since it inconvenienced you, you sent children to do your dirty work without actually giving them what they want.”

“And I take it you know?” Nadakhan chuckled incredulously, spitting to the side of Antok.

“Obviously they’re looking for the militia. We’ll handle that ourselves, so you need not inconvenience yourself further. I only have one question for you, djinn: has anyone arrived in Thurkiitu within the past movement other than ourselves?”

Nadakhan hummed pretentiously, the tumultuous clouds of his eyes wicked as the gleam of his false tooth. “I don’t know. I’m a traveller, after all.” His throaty laugh came out in labored puffs as Antok slammed a heavy fist into his solar plexus.

“Knowledge or Death.”

“Damn you... Marmorites... ha... ha... I would check Chen’s Noodle Palace... If I were you... Seems like the hub of this damned place... ha...” Antok dropped the djinn, a sick crunch as bone collided with stone and armor.

They left him wailing in the alleyway.

“Don’t worry, Sweetie, we’ll fetch you a doctor, pronto,” a womanly voice soothed. It was the right place, but contrary to Nadakhan’s words, Chen’s Noodle Palace was virtually empty.

Lloyd skimmed his fingertips over framed newspaper clippings written in Twyl, which he could slowly understand: Chen’s Noodle Palace: Grand Opening!, transitioning into Skylor Chen Claims Throne! The red-haired woman looked proud among pictures with ribbons and awards.

“Not from around here, are you?” Skylor smirked, eyeing him. “...Or perhaps you are... Anyways, I’m unable to serve your party at the moment.” She sauntered back towards a table where a lump lay, Kai following. “That was your queue to leave, Red.”

“We’re looking for a child from Styxx: Harumi Jade? Her parents are worried to death,” Kenzie chimed in, earning a nudge from Lloyd. Sick.

Skylor hummed, looking towards the table lump. “Rumi needs a doctor. I recently heard of a travelling shaman not too far from town. I’d take her by myself, but the trails have become dangerous.”

“We can escort you,” Kai winked. Skylor chuckled before tapping the lump, causing it to stir.

Lloyd can’t explain what he actually expected, maybe a bug-like Twyl like many of the tribe, something like all the serpentwyls he’d encountered. Delilah never disclosed the appearance of the ghosts. But Harumi Jade had a serene look to her, with the droopy pale yellow eyes of her people, silvery hair, and shiny jewel-toned lips.

This time Kenzie nudged him.

☾

"Thanks, Acxa,” Skylor said, offering a hand to shake. Like fire and ice, Delilah noted. Skylor’s flame of hair protruded in a beaded and braided ponytail, and her gold-green eyes and freckled skin suggested she was Startouch. Another Startouch... Acxa - the Moonshadow shaman - was just like any other Moonshadow: mostly invisible with the glowing markings and eyes. Delilah’s were chromatic purple; Acxa’s were the color of midnight over the Moon Nexus during a New Moon.

Like with all new people, Delilah attempted to hear Acxa’s thoughts. It was in her nature to make sure the Royal Twins were safe. Sure, she herself is also a royal - the ‘Twilight Princess’ - but there’s tons of Moonshadows; Cosmics are an endangered species, especially the Startouch. She sure hoped they could get through to Aara. To lose him would be a tragedy on many fronts.

But Acxa was unreadable. Inaudible. Even Harumi’s parents had thoughts - and they’re ghosts.

She shuddered, examining her surroundings once more. She wasn’t too keen on seeing them-

-It began.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -NPCs often grant a hefty reward when you complete a quest for them.  
-Lore update: Kenzie, Zane, Aaravos

Delilah hated nothing more in this moment than the prospect of seeing them again, but she also doubted they’d stop til they’d been found. She really didn’t want to see nor hear them, their unnaturally swollen and blue faces still fresh in her mind’s eye.

For the sake of losing them, she followed the mournful echoes to the edge of the mostly abandoned town in the mountains. Neither soul nor spirit roamed the streets, making it an odd and uncomfortable location the shaman popped up in. Then again, maybe she was just being paranoid and Acxa just doesn’t like being around tons of people, like Kenzie.

The edge was nothing but mountain and boulders, the stone too high and too smooth to climb over. But she didn’t need to. Double-checking no one had followed, the Moonshadow floated over the obstacle and found a hidden clearing, blocked on all sides but lightly vegetated with a few streams latticing the monument where the Jades waited. Their minds finally silenced as they smiled at the shadow.

☾

It was a familiar setting. Her plush bed, her bookshelves, the table for two at her bedside, the telescope positioned just so at the large window. Comfortable yet maddeningly repetitive, day in and day out.

Pain shot up her left side, white hot flashes through the ocular nerve pinning her against the bed. A man with a long white beard swept in, the scent of tea leaves following him as he gently took the edge of the mattress. He smiled sadly as he touched a hand to her damp forehead.

“Is Momma coming?” she asked warily, lips numb.

“She wants to, but she is more than just a mother. She’s a queen,” the man answered. He began pouring a deep amber tea. “But I have a surprise for you.”

Curious, Kenzie sat up, lifting the cup to her lips. “What is it, Uncle Wu?”

“An old friend of the family is moving into the castle. He’s travelled the realm and knows how to make illusions. I’m sure he’d love to show you, and perhaps you wouldn’t be alone all the time anymore.”

Kenzie hummed, finishing her tea.

☾

The library halls echoed with silence as she hobbled around, searching for a title she hadn’t read. She picked one up before another tremor of lightning shot through her wrists and it tumbled to the floor...

...And stopped...

“Do you remember this moment? Do you, Starling?” A warm pair of arms slinked around her shoulders, the chiseled chin digging into her shoulder. Warm, sweet breath billowed across her skin.

“Painfully so.”

“Do you remember what I said?”

“‘There is something you want very badly. Tell me, and I will help you.’”

“And you asked to see the world,” he recalled fondly. “I’ve been trying to achieve just that, my star. Just for you.” The setting changed again, this time the throne room, Aaravos dragged in on his knees. The world was against him and his monstrosity. The quintessence had warped him from ethereal godfather to mad scientist. “Kenzie! Tell them! Tell them I’m trying to show you the world!”

“Did you hurt those people?”

“I need-”!

“-Did you hurt those people?”

Silence. The Queen nodded once, and Runaan began pulling on the deepstone chains. Kenzie leaned into her twin, tears glazing her gold-green eyes.

“Kenzie, Lloyd, for your safety we’re sending you to another realm,” the Queen commanded, much to her children’s protest. “When it’s safe again, you may return, but we need to get this situation under control first. Please forgive me,” she said, looking away as she slung a rune.

“No!”

“No!” Kenzie jumped before her brother, attempting to draft her own, only taking the brunt of the breach’s force, sending them spiraling into the abyss towards a bright world rippled on its face. The Twin Realm. Ninjago.

Aaravos slumped as he watched his star blink out of the world, eyes turning black and gold.

☾

“You need the sleep, Milady,” Zane whispered, offering her a teacup.

“And yet you offer me tea.”

“And yet you drink it.”

Kenzie smirked warily. “Chai and moonberry. My favorite.” The Skywing nodded hastily, sipping from his own cup. “You’re not just Twyl.”

“No I am not.” His snowy eyes never left her starry ones. “Shard raised me. Being in the company of a Dragon Guardian for so long makes you like one. He and I are connected like no other.” He ruffled his wings before settling back into his slouch against the wall. He seems uncomfortable, but why? “I’ve never been so far from Shard before. I know he’s okay, and that he’s proud and supportive of my journey, but... Well, blame the separation anxiety, but I feel like... I’m under a lense. You do understand, right?”

“You know I do.” Kenzie hastily emptied her cup. “Do you know why I got Power?” Zane chuckled. “What?”

“Influence and humility, Milady. The Fallen King was a Courageous Warrior, mighty and willful. Your brother dreamt of a connection with the father he never knew, and has since tried to further his legacy. Your best friend has spent arguably more time around your own mother than you have, finding every excuse to help, learn, and be around her. While they’re fundamentally different, it’s easy to see how the Queen’s influence altered the Twilight Princess’ path towards that of Wisdom.

“And then there’s you, Milady. Royal by birthright, but from unexpectedly humble beginnings. You were raised by two former Patrons of Power. In its time, the Triforce grants Power to those who think themselves undeserving. Recall that even though you grew into a more creative nature, you’re more than one thing, Princess.” By now they were both seated comfortably on the palette Kenzie had been sleeping on. “But I still cannot comprehend how one capable of spell-crafting wouldn’t consider themselves powerful.”

Kenzie shook her head incredulously as she lay back down. “Have you seen Delilah in a fight? I bet she’ll take down Aaravos faster than he can say ‘quintessence’.”

Zane lay on his stomach, wings gently unfurled. “Seems like what everyone wants. Everyone but you, it seems.”

“Thanks.”

“Kenzie, look at me.” She did. “Marmora or not, I will follow your lead. If you say you want Aaravos alive, I will do everything in my power to make that wish a reality.”

“You sound like him.”

“And you sound convinced that that’s a bad thing.”

“You already know why.”

Zane grew quiet, contemplating. He muttered something. “Shard raised me since I was an infant abandoned in the Birchwood Forest by my father. So as I grew up, I thought I was a dragon as well. I was so sure that I just needed my Twyl Form to change me so I’d be just like him. I’d climb trees in an attempt to fly, but Shard always stopped me.

“Until one day. He wasn’t paying attention. I climbed up the tallest tree I could find, and jumped. I realized then that I wasn’t a dragon, but I did gain my wings, luckily. Since then I have kept in mind that Shard and I were fundamentally different creatures. But then Aaravos came for a visit, and I saw I was a dragon.”

“How?”

“I have a hoard.”

“What’s in it?”

“Shard, my blade, and certain people,” he added whisper-soft as he curled a wing around a drowsy Kenzie. “People’s minds can change, Kenzie. But they can also change back. Don’t lose hope yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said before that soon enough there'd be some evilness. Fyi, that's chapter 35. Aka SOON. Since this is a parody of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and I never got to finish that game, I have to research my plot points and all that jazz, therefore right now I'm TELLING YOU chapter 35 is a nightmare. I know it's not the next one, but it's SOON so BE PREPARED. MLB fans, remember the feels Chat Blanc gave you? THAT. Yup, I'm evil.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -sidequest for quest reward

Lloyd didn’t know how Kenzie and Zane ended up in bed together, or why Delilah kept on disappearing by herself after what happened at the reserve, or how she knew they needed to head back to Styxx, or - well, well, I know nothing! Except, perhaps, that the lady selling moonberry juice by the gallon was sweet as quiznak. What was her name again? Ezor. Yeah, she was unlike any Twyl he’d met, and an old friend of the shaman who helped that pretty Olkari girl.

“This way,” Delilah instructed, floating towards a rock. D what the quiznak? She scaled it, vanishing beyond the border. Well, she’s dead.

One large hand yanked him into the air screaming like a banshee. It didn’t let go through the wet tunnels or jetting streams of water sending them sliding down, down, down. Oh, this is war, Lloyd decided, patting his soaked gi as he looked around Styxx. Somehow they’d returned to the not-so-secret base of the Marmora.

“So tell us why you brought us back here instead of Thurkiitu?” Kai demanded. The hedgehog of his head matted down with jewels of water.

“I saw the Jades again,” the shadow explained, almost as if it were obvious. “In exchange for helping their daughter they told me about a REALLY old tribe near Styxx. We’re talking old-as-Oriande old. Styxx is built atop its ruins, but the sunken temple was home to the first Oceancrest Twyls and I've always wanted to see what ancient tech was sealed down there.”

“Oh, the lost City of Plaxuluxia?” Kenzie cooed, linking arms with the shadow. “Didn’t it house evolved Oceancrest merfolk, only to be run out by electric sea creatures?”

“Baku? Yes. A strange species, indeed,” Zane answered, pulling up the hood of his recently acquired Marmorian garb. “They took over the Ocean Nexus and stole many interesting devices such as what ancient texts call the Clawshot.”

Kolivan and Antok had stayed with Harumi, so it was just them wandering the docks. “Would now be a good time to mention I can’t swim?” Kai sounded so squeaky and scared, it didn’t even seem like the cool, adventurous dude anymore. 

Lloyd strode up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Stay with Kenzie at the antique shop. We’ll be back soon.”

☾

Except they weren’t. Doboshes turned to vargas turned to what surely had to be quintants trying to navigate the odd temple. The labyrinth was mostly dry when they arrived, with one giant staircase upon a pedestal in the center and too many floors and doorways. It was enough to be dizzyingly claustrophobic.

The monument of deepstone architecture was sparingly decorated with vases that looked like they were made of scales or shells or seaweed, and immovable nets to partition the floors, and stalactites falling into geyser streams. Very pretty. How anyone could think to make giant gears rotate platforms of other gears and swings in multiple floors was beyond Lloyd’s comprehension. How did they never rust? Especially as floor by floor, lever by lever, rotation by rotation of that huge staircase, water rose to fill the temple. And with that came increasing confrontations with the baku.

They were pretty mindless as he, Delilah, and Zane navigated the dark sea bottom, but changes in the current sent them into an electrifying frenzy, which was painful. Thank goodness for Ezor and moonberry juice.

☾

"Vrepit sa,” Rayla saluted. She kept her eyes low and away from the pitch within the tower, waiting for the order to continue. “I just received word from Acxa and Ezor. They’re heading for the Plaxuluxia Remains.”

Aaravos smiled gratefully before dismissing the young assassin. Perfect.

☾

Obtaining the legendary Clawshot was tedious, but not difficult. At the very bottom of the sunken Oceancrest temple was, as mentioned, the Ocean Nexus, another of those timely rock structures Lloyd prepared to meet his father in, but didn’t.

Centerstage of the Nexus was what looked like a giant, upside-down baku, and he probably would’ve drowned had it not been for a certain Skywing-Moonshadow duo manipulating the air and sea when it turned out that’s basically what it was. Some sort of king baku, long with tentacles. If it weren’t a serious moment, Lloyd would’ve mentioned it looking like the tea man from his memory. But as his friends mentioned, they were specialized in certain things, and thus they should all save their breaths for this encounter.

And between the three of them, taking down the king baku was fairly simple. Sadly, the Nexus was no more, but at least there was the Clawshot, their prize for helping Rumi.

Delilah drew up a breach, and the three of them drifted into the port of Styxx.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 35 is next. You've been warned.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE MOMENT Y'ALL'VE BEEN WAITING FOR - the really mean chapter. And on Aaravos' birthday, too! 
> 
> I lick peanut butter off of knives. I play Jenga by pulling out the side pieces. I've constantly inflicted harm and trauma on these characters. You should in no way, shape, or form, trust this chapter - which I've been warning y'all about - will be kind.
> 
> There's death, ngl. Multiple. But I believe this story is my best work.
> 
> You've been warned.

Kai and Kenzie were at the docks waiting when they arrived, Clawshot in hand. Through both Delilah’s and Zane’s unique telepathic abilities - as it turns out, Zane acquired the talent through his guardian and mentor - the three of them managed to agree that Tink should know something about the mechanism.

For one, it was worn almost like a glove with a grip inside that activates the metal claw at the end. It was attached with a long metal chain which was determined to be some mix of deepstone and iron, the overall effect being heavy. Nothing a trained warrior like Delilah couldn’t carry, but nothing she wouldn’t notice, either, as they swam to the surface.

Kenzie’s gonna love this, Delilah thought proudly as she approached. Lloyd and Zane were thinking similar- oh...

STARTOUCH STARTOUCH STARTOUCH, Lloyd’s mind violently pounded. Skylor’s with Rumi, Acxa, and the Blades, so the only other foreign entity would be-

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite children!”

☾

Splash!

“Uncle Wu!” Kenzie shrieked, jumping towards the sea. Her hands and feet thrashed against the surface as some force reeled her back to the dock. The same creeping grogginess Lloyd remembered from... Oh...

Aaravos and his Dark Magic.

Lloyd looked around. Several sleeping bodies - hopefully they’re sleeping - in place of his friends and then some. This time he refused to succumb to the darkness suffocating him inside and out. “Ke-Ken...zie...” The scent of blood polluted his nasals.

“You’ve really made a mess of things. Now I have to restart the draining process. Tell me, Starling: what has Ninjago ever done for you?”

“It kept me safe,” he could hear his sister spit back like a striking Venomari.

“From the truth, perhaps.” Lloyd caught a glimpse of purple skin and optic white hair as the monster circled his sister suspended in the misty darkness. “I never lie, Starlight. Never.”

“The quintessence is too much for any one person to handle - it’s warping your mind!”

“The Quintessence showed me the only way to show you the world you wanted. I can make you immortal, just as it changed me. It’s simple. Then you’ll always be the Patron of Power, little princess, and I can show you all this realm has to offer. Your compatriots are welcome to this gift as well, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“What I’m concerned about is the death of every other realm due to your selfishness!”

The world felt so heavy, knees locking and dragging Lloyd down with them. The only light anywhere was the supernova of hair on the increasingly angered Startouch.

“You belong in this realm, with me. No one else, no place else, will ever accept you, will ever understand you. I’ve seen your memories. I know your pain-”

“-And you expect the weight of coldblooded murder to ease it?!”

The blinding light burst, sending Lloyd into pitch black.

☾

It was a familiar setting. Wide open fields, the aura of a bleeding realm, the scents and mental hum signaling the presence of his friends, even EARTHBLOOD and OCEANCREST.

Lloyd got to his feet - all four of them - vision hazy with sleep and head pounding not in warning but injury. He cringed at the clawing pressure, a whimper escaping his throat. A sound he hadn’t even noticed prior stopped: choking sobs. Finally he saw his sister, vigorously scrubbing her face.

And there he finally saw it: all the Twyls he’d come to share his adventures with - the people he loved - lay there, still and grey and just barely clinging to life.

Kenzie got to her feet - anger blossoming through her hair and eyes - every star upon her skin lighting the way through a rune, the pattern dissolving to mist and swirling around Lloyd and his friends. It smelled like rain clouds and lightning, sadness and righteous anger. He’d never seen Kenzie this way.

Grass no longer felt like grass, and the air seemed tainted somehow. Then they were floating high above the sea of green, so much wider than the fields outside Thurkiitu. What is this?

The front gate whizzed by, the Castle City only lit by eerie green flames floating about, much like...-

-A speckled hand flashed before his visage, his whole perspective darting around wide shadows. She shrunk us...

Lloyd cautiously sat, Delilah stirring as he did. “Mi...sakuh...” she murmured, though her couldn’t figure out why. Gosh, my head. Maybe it’ll stop if I shift...

WHY ISN’T IT WORKING?

☾

After perhaps half a varga in the rain, Chen’s Noodle Palace came into view. He couldn’t bring himself to piece that together, either, leaving it in Kenzie’s hands. She threw her weight against some crates outside the restaurant, forming a staircase towards the entrance to a gated sewer.

As no one resides in the sewer, it wasn’t necessary to draw a rune in order to get in. But Lloyd witnessed - even as it scorched his optics - the fluorescence of her hair, the glittering cosmos of her hands, and - occasionally - huge teardrops rolling down the face of the pendant he was in.

Soon appeared the treacherous spiral staircase. It’d been phoebs since he last truly saw it, though when he did manage a few vargas of well-deserved - and much-needed - rest, it tended to sneak its way into his dreams. Playing in his mind’s eye was the delicate dance up the tower under the disco of Cole’s instinctive hands and their pearly smiles.

But Cole was just as out of commission as the rest, and no one had come to fix the establishment since. Thus, Kenzie had no way of ascending.

She sat down, the rising cloud of dust choking her exasperated sigh. Moments later Lloyd recognized her quick fingers etching runes into the dust, coming up with alternatives and redrawing each plan. Her furious spell-crafting came to a halt when she finally gasped, “Clawshot!” and removed it from a pouch on the Sunfire armor Tink lovingly provided.

The trip was quick - Lloyd counted by pulsating of muscles across his head and neck - but it seemed Kenzie didn’t go without punishment. She practically fell into a nearby wall, using a moon opal to hide from the moon phoenixes that were already battling for dominance as she clutched her arm in silent agony. With a pulse raging down his spine, a memory surfaced: Lloyd, telling his sister about his day of training and exploring the castle grounds over evening tea. She’d remain in bed, lounging as she sipped her favorite amber beverage, smiling serenely as he spoke.

In an instant it all changed. An animal’s scream tore through her chest as her eyes rolled back into her skull, tea crashing to the floor. A man - the one who smells like tea, the one I briefly saw before falling into the waters of Styxx, the one Kenzie screamed for: Uncle Wu - arrived at the scene, a worried expression on his kind face as he dug his fingers into her screaming muscles.

Lloyd was shaken by Kenzie slowly getting up, sneaking past the aggressive creatures and taking the fresh air in ragged, untimely breaths.

This part was familiar. Kenzie used another moon opal to disguised herself while she utilized her beacon spell. The Clawshot came in handy again, used on the other hand instead, its four prongs latching onto the crumbling roof with ease. And as before, the window was open.

Lloyd almost hurled at the speed in which his sister’s hand shot up, grasped the pendant, and threw it to the ground. Stomach in throat, he opted to lie down with his eyes closed as his mother analyzed the situation.

“It’s all my fault,” he could make out Kenzie’s choked whisper. If only he could shift, he’d tell her she had more guts standing up to Aaravos than he ever had. He’d huddle her close and remind her that the man was a monster who only looked like her godfather. That thing was to blame, not her. Still the world spun.

“I know what I must do,” his mother whispered. Lloyd opened his eyes in confusion. She removed her fogged-up glasses and carefully balanced them on Kenzie’s nose before leaning down to kiss Lloyd between the ears. “I can save your friends, but to truly cast off the evil placed upon you, you must journey to Oriande, a sacred alchemist temple outside of Oppenheimer. There you’ll find a sword which will free you of the shadow.

“Take care of each other, my babies. I’m sorry...” she whispered, a symbol he’d never gotten the chance to notice before lighting up the back of her hand: the Triforce.

“No... No, Momma, please! There’s gotta be another way!” Kenzie pleaded, gripping the Queen’s arms as she faded into the oozing black shards that were the energy of the Twilight Realm.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -New characters  
-Lore update: Garmadon Twins, Triforce

His sister smothered down the scream threatening to alert every entity in Thurkiitu out to get them as the final shard dissipated. But she couldn’t withhold the mournful sounds that bubbled out.

Unable to be consoled, the last of the Garmadon bloodline sat leaned against their mother’s footboard. No one spoke, unable to escape the shock of it all. Most of their friends had scarce knowledge of the Cosmic Queen of the Twilight Kingdom, let alone her as a mother. And yet she gave herself to save them all. Lloyd himself couldn’t wrap his still-pounding head around how quickly his mother - someone in the long list of people he wanted to get to know - sacrificed herself. What of her people?

The air was thick when he noticed his sister stand up. “Let’s not give him what he wants by not heeding her words.” The furious nova returned as she conjured up a breach. Lloyd noticed grimly that like all other Twyl-made portals, this one was conceived of Twyl Energy.

As the cosmos blurred by, the prince wondered if his family would reunite in the spirit realm, if - by the time proximity - his mother made that portal, if being in a prehistoric site would fix the damage dealt.

The entrance of a lake was visible, but the scent was familiar, the image of Kenzie and Delilah splashing away summer afternoons came to mind. Mom said to find a sword outside of Oppenheimer. This probably wasn’t what she meant.

Another plume of silvery-purple smoke as Kenzie marked off the path with moon opal illusions, most likely to hide the obvious outsiders in this city of light. The skin beneath his fur itched as the sun rays danced precariously on it, and it seemed he wasn’t the only one to feel it as everyone aside from Cole made irritated vaults in the direction of the next protected village.

Oppenheimer’s majestic and allegedly musical mountains provided great comfort, minimizing the simmer on his skin to a mere sizzle. Once Zane finally felt the relief himself, he offered to provide frost to both heal everyone’s burns and shield them from new ones, to which everyone happily agreed. From there, they followed the path towards the Air Temple’s entrance. But for a place connected to the Temple of Air, its namesake was nowhere to be felt.

“That’s odd,” Nya piped up. “Her Majesty said Oriande was outside of Oppenheimer, but-”

“-What’s that?” Jay shouted in alarm, blue eyes fearfully electric as a bug-like creature leapt into view. It was a Twyl, shadowy like a Moonshadow with no eyes. Not even any sockets. It’s robes were that of a Blade’s, but although the hood was up, there was no mask, just the eerie, gaping smile. No teeth, but strings of saliva as the ectoskeletal mouth greeted them silently, daringly.

“Uh, hey,” Kai greeted, smile plastered across his face. ”We’re looking for Oriande. Do you-? Hey!” he shouted as the Blade leapt back into a tree. “I thought the Blades were supposed to be helping us!”

“I’ve never seen that one,” Zane replied slowly. “I suppose some could’ve been deployed at the time. Perhaps it’s worth following a potential ally if it means completing a mission.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Cole countered. “We need a plan of attack.”

“They’re outnumbered, Boulder Brain,” Jay replied.

“We don’t actually know,” Kai said. “We might be led into an ambush.”

“Zane and I can’t sense any living presence beyond this stop. I don’t think we’re in any danger; necromancy isn’t an ability Twyls possess, luckily. At least for this instance,” Delilah answered calmly, though by the look on her face Lloyd could tell something was on her mind. Perhaps, like me, she was thinking about my mother’s- ...Yeah...

So after Zane and Delilah’s reaffirmation, they followed the mute and presumably blind Blade towards what will hopefully be Oriande. The insectoid skillfully trapezed over the aero-hydraulic bridges - or what looks like them. Without the wind, the dizzying passage was pretty undaunting.

Jay was just volunteering himself and Zane to make trips when Kenzie tapped Lloyd on the shoulder. Aeroblade in hand, the bridges were aligned into one straight path. He obediently followed, and together they made it into a forested area where the treetops disappeared above the low-floating clouds and roots netted into tunnels. The lush overgrowth was littered with statues and full suits of armor, some of their bones not completely picked off.

“I was told Oriande was littered with the corpses of unworthy soldiers,” Kenzie whispered, tracing one of the engravings of a triforce. It was depicted above in the heart of a ‘glowing’ star, and Lloyd felt an air of familiarity. “Our family crest,” she explained, reaching up to one of her horns where there were braces with the same symbol adorned her, silver against the deep amethyst. “‘Being the founder of a more inclusive kingdom... the gods... watched over the First King of Twilight... and his descendants.’ So that’s why Papa said he, Momma, and Uncle wu were all...” She let out a sigh, the light of her skin flickering into her human form.

Lloyd licked the twitching hand and urged her forward in an attempt to keep her mind off the pain.

They’d only taken a few steps when they came face to face with a white lion. One slow blink of its yellow eyes was all Lloyd needed to toss Kenzie onto his back and bolt for an escape. He could see his friends about to cross the threshold when Kenzie tugged his fur. “Look out!”

The Mysterious Blade offered another smile, this one seemingly more sinister as they waved some kind of spear with what looked like a unicorn horn - whether they exist here or not - attached precariously with some rope. This was not a Blade of Marmora.

This was a necromancer.

☾

I knew something was fishy about them! Delilah thought as she nabbed a handful of puppeteered dead. Neuro always said to trust my instincts.

“‘Necromancy isn’t an ability Twyls possess,’” Cole mocked as he summoned boulders to crush the Unworthy, who’s bodies contorted unnaturally as they moved by no means of their own.

“It’s not! Clearly they’ve obtained a weapon that does!” Delilah shouted back.

A cooling mist washed over them as Nya summoned a wave to crash over the Unworthy, knocking them into a heap of mismatched bones and armor. “I doubt they’ll stay like that. We need to take away that staff if we wanna live to cleanse the evil Aaravos planted on us.”

“We’ve got company!” A ferocious white beast leapt overhead, jaws bared.

The creature once thought to be a Blade dropped their staff as the white lion pounced on them. His teeth ripped at their throat, only dust spewing as whatever that thing was shattered into dead Twyl Energy.

Not even a homunculus is worthy, Narti, an ethereal voice boomed. Delilah realized the white lion was speaking. Only those who seek knowledge may enter my land.

☾

"Narti has gone offline, Father,” Prince Aaravos reported. “She was lost in Oriande’s outskirts, but there’s still your other generals. But we must be strategic. They haven’t met Zethrid, although they did purchase supplies from Ezor.”

“Yes, those two were always close. It was lovely until they betrayed me,” Lotor reminisced. “But now I forgive them. Without the espionage of my generals it would’ve been less efficient tracking those children... and killing off the only guidance they had,” he smirked.

“Although,” he continued, “it’s likely their status will permit entry to Oriande, and the weapon that can eradicate your spell.”

Aaravos chuckled, playing with a caterpillar. “Let them. This wild goose chase is all part of my plan...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter I physically wrote out, which means I probably won't be updating online for a few days while I research and write. I only give my best. Thanks for getting this far, and for your patience! ❤️


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -LORE GALORE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I thought coming up with the next chapter would take way longer... ANYWAYS this is a MAJOR chapter. Don't worry, there isn't any death. Actually, this chapter focuses on demonstrating/establishing relationships. Us dragon people have learned a lot about some of our faves recently, so it felt like a good idea to incorporate some of this new information, too.

Kenzie huffed as she slid off her twin’s back. The spirit beast eyed her warily, but silently led the way into Oriande. At the next entrance, which was marked with a massive triforce, equally massive statues guarded either side of the path. The White Lion waited patiently before them; Kenzie marched on.

Who are you? several voices demanded as the eyes of the Oriande guardians lit up. What business do you have in these sacred lands?

Defiantly, the supernova flashed the marking on her hand. Lloyd watched timidly as the statues collectively gasped and stood, the clouds crowning their heads. Despite the concern, however, they did nothing as the pained and angered Cosmic stomped by, everyone trailing behind loyally.

Lloyd liked to believe that - even with two certified telepaths among them - he still knew his sister the best. Chai-moonberry tea was her favorite, she enjoyed stargazing into the early morning. Theatre intrigued her, but she avoided Dareth. She didn’t trust others who weren’t quick to do her the same courtesy, even after all these years. That included Ronin, the only person Lloyd leisurely spoke to in Jamonikai, but she nevertheless engaged in his witty banter.

But as much as I wanna skip to all these good parts, her wrath is undeniable.

Several artifacts decorated the otherwise barren museum, drawing the eyeline towards one in particular: a crystal sword. The light Oriande emitted from within refracted into dozens of rainbows. Quite a few more appeared when Kenzie approached it.

No one moved to stop her. Time seemed to move through the frozen spring in Birchwood Forest. A marked hand reached out, wrapped around the hilt firmly, blinding light as it was brought down and shattered into a million diamonds. Lloyd could hardly flinch as they flew towards him, scraping his skin.

☾

"I miss Tink.” Runaan said nothing, seeming to ignore her in favor of meditation. But Rayla knew better. He’s hurting. “Runaan, I’m torn. Aaravos can raise the dead, and I know what he promised... But I can’t stand knowing that witch still lives.”

“Justice will not be denied, Rayla. As Lotor said, each ally gained only makes us stronger, while those who continue to stand against us will be crushed.” Slowly the assassin opened his eyes, bleary with tears.

It was all but impossible, trying to bear the pain in front of the others. As much as they all understood that this mission meant Tink’s revival, Rayla felt nauseous swallowing the bile over and over and over again. And now - when they were alone in the twilight - she couldn’t muster the strength to stop mustering the strength. “Do you think he’ll be the same?”

“It’s all that keeps me sane,” he whispered, expression collapsing entirely. He dropped his head into his hands. Rayla whimpered, wrapping her arms around him.

☾

"How terrifying.”

“Oh, shut up. This is really frustrating for me. I want to remember, but every time I do it’s either really painful or Aaravos is trying to make me choose.”

“Apples, though?”

“It... was a nice moment...” Kenzie answered sheepishly. She kept to the shadows, praying none of the Blades noticed her. “I still don’t get how he never tried one.”

“Well, Oriande was pretty boring. You wielding the Sacred Sword was pretty awesome, though,” Morro chuckled. “...You look good with your mom’s glasses, by the way...”

“Thanks.” The female sat, legs dangling over the docks. The image of her uncle thrown in like bait flashed before her eyes, sending jolts down her spine. “How’d you meet them?”

“...I was thirteen. Gave up trying to get adopted and ran away from the orphanage... Um, I-I-I was just looking for something to hold me over when... when Sensei saw me. He offered me a meal. It was the first genuine bit of kindness anyone’s ever shown me...

“Garmadon and Misako were so kind as well. They were expecting twins, and they said I could be part of the family. For the first time I can remember, I felt free. That’s when I became a Skywing.

“I didn’t know anyone like me. I was scared. But Wu... Dad... he- uh... he was really accepting. He even trained me. He and his brother spoke of the Hero’s Gi - the one Garmadon wore - which represents the Courageous Warrior. I wanted it to choose me so badly, but Destiny had other plans, I guess. I was angry, and jealous - I wanted to be the best, and when I wasn’t, I knew it had to be one of you two.”

The aeroblade felt warm in Kenzie’s hands. “I’m sorry...”

The ghost chuckled again, halfheartedly. “Don’t be. It’s not like it’s your fault. I was just a young kid, frustrated with the turnout. But I knew it’d be one of you, and... I’m not surprised that it’s both.”

“‘Your power is a gift given only to those with confidence to wield it.’”

“Stalker.”

“Only because I care,” Zane admitted, taking a seat beside them.

“Ugh, gross!” Morro whined teasingly.

“Thace sent a message to Kolivan and Antok. They’ll be bringing Harumi and Tink to Styxx. Rumor has it that the assassin squad we’re searching for carefully guards the prison Aaravos was kept in.”

“That seems a little too obvious.”

“He’s not there. He’s someplace else, but the distance and any possible barriers he might’ve cast are interfering with my abilities.”

“Alright... Well, something important must be there if he’s having the militia guard it. I hope your plan works.”

☾

The sky was like orange rupees in the civil twilight when Kolivan brought Tink. Antok had wordlessly escorted Harumi back to the reserve, but not before she ‘properly’ thanked her hero. Kenzie playfully gagged at her brother receiving a kiss on the cheek.

“I remember Kryptarium Prison quite well. After Her Majesty determined it was optimistic negligence which led to Aara’s unsupervised radical experiments, Runaan was unable to leave his side,” Tink explained. “Janai pulled a favor and got special permission from her sister for me to visit as often as my heart desired.”

“Janai’s sister is a prison guard?” Jay asked curiously.

“Nah, the Golden Knight of Lux Aurea is the Sun Princess, her sister being the Queen of us Sunfires,” Kai answered lightheartedly. “She used to be really fun before this whole Aaravos situation.”

“Yeah, Kai here had a crush on her,” Nya leaked devilishly.

“Did not!”

“I’m... surprised Aaravos was not sentenced to death... Perhaps it’s true he’s disillusioned everyone to believe he can still be saved.” Zane held Kenzie close as she flinched. “Such criminals are forced through the Mirror of Twilight, the only tangible doorway between realms. It may cause any of several damages, but typically Twyls burn to death in the light of day.”

“Kolivan? This is really educational and all, but he’s my sister’s godfather.”

“I... am sorry...”

“Me, too...”

☾

"Cole, I gotta talk to you.”

“Sure, D. What’s up?”

“It’s... Kryptarium... sorta...”

“I’m sure it ain’t that bad.”

“It’s not that... It’s... the Mirror of Twilight.”

“Yeah, we need it, right?”

“Well, yeah, but... the gods created itas both a doorway and a punishment.”

“Kolivan mentioned that earlier. What’s the big deal?”

“It was meant for the Galra who mercilessly conquered other peoples and waged war on the other tribes. They were kept in the prison and stripped of their dark alchemy. The worst of them was the high priestess named Haggar, the one who started the epidemic of Dark Magic. They sent her and her followers through the mirror, and eventually they got the creator of the Oni Masks as well...

“When we first encountered Tink at the Breach, that Oni Mask he was wearing... it was like it was...”

“...Calling to you?”

“Yeah... I shrugged it off at first, but when Aaravos showed up, I-... I saw something. My-my brother... Cole, my brother...”

“Holy quiznak...”

Please don’t tell the others!

Did you tell Kenzie? Delilah furiously shook her head, keeping her eyes on the caravan travelling ahead of them. “Dude! Why not?” She hushed him, but he stood his ground. Why?

I’m not sure we can trust her right now... She’s been having dreams about Aaravos...

Ew!

Not that kind, stupid! They’re her memories, but he’s getting in her head. She doesn’t even wanna fight him!

D, she’s our friend. It’s probably just a misunderstanding. I mean, Zane trusts her, and he’s a telepath, too. She hasn’t done anything-

-But she could, Cole. Haven’t you seen how off she is? How angry she’s been?

“I guess you have a point.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!!!

"It could be worth mentioning that the Oppenheimer mines lead into a deathtrap somewhere out here," Cole announced. "What? I just barely recognized it!"

"Great... Gonna avoid THAT at all costs..." Several murmurs of agreement rose. Right now the mission's to get Tink to the Moonshadow assassins so they can be cleansed. Stumbling into dangerous territories and potential death is not part of the plan.

"No, don't!"

Delilah and Cole shared a look as everyone looked at Kenzie as if she'd grown a second head. "Sorry," came the arrogant voice of Morro. He hadn't spoken since entering the aeroblade, a feature Lloyd was semi-grateful for. To know it was a choice he'd opted out of was... confusing. "I told her to say that. Just like Delilah, Zane, and the Brave One can detect living souls, I can sense other ghosts. My communication with them is limited, but there's another Skywing down in those mines. I think you should visit them."

"And why's that?" Kai demanded, sounding just as cocky.

"I know a distressed spirit when I feel it. Can you just check it out?"

The younger adventurers looked to Lloyd. He shared a look with Kolivan, who's expressionless gaze said he really didn't care. He did say he'd help us along... Then Lloyd turned to Tink, so hopeful, so ready to be reunited with his family. We're so close...

Tink smiled serenely, placing a hand on both Lloyd's shoulders and said, "I've waited deca-phoebs to see them again. I want you all to be as prepared as possible."

Lloyd smiled. "Okay, we'll make this quick detour, but then we're off to Kryptarium."

"Thanks, Lloyd," Morro whispered, the aeroblade on Kenzie's back going dull again.

"Thank you," She added.

☾

"This is starting to feel like that 'Arabian Nights' story," Lloyd pointed out. Kryptarium stood proud and ominous not too far away in the lonely desert, but this mineshaft was becoming increasingly frustrating to find. Even as the twilight grew deeper, this was still the Twilight-Ninjago hybrid, in which sandy plains are hot enough to scorch through everyone's shoes, and there simply was no relief nor remedy to this.

"At least it's not the Breach," Jay chuckled weakly. "That suck-" Nya pelted him with a Jay-sized ball of water. He gargled and spluttered as he dropped from his heat-exhausted flight to the now damp sand.

Nya - as well as everyone else - chortled as thunder clapped overhead. Rain lightly fell from the suddenly present clouds. The refreshing mist brightened everyone's mood. Lloyd noticed that while under the brief canopy of Zane's wing, Kenzie transferred the aeroblade to under a flap of her armor before skipping out to enjoy it with the rest of them.

Tink followed her, delighting in the rain as well. His smile is like... well, the sun. And in line with that, his laugher's like a ray of sunshine. No wonder so many people love him enough to go crazy art the thought he might be gone, Lloyd thought. His own smile warmed through his entire body, fizzling into a new bout of laughter.

And then they fell.

☾

"Are you alright??" Kenzie rubbed her eyes, dizzy and confused. One moment, they're dancing in the rain - the next, the desert opened its jaws and swallowed them whole. Tink balanced Misako's glasses on her nose once she finally opened her eyes.

They slowly regained their footing in the mountain of sand that - thank the stars - cushioned their fall. It was dusty and Kenzie kept coughing, but she managed to ask, “Morro, is this it?”

“...Yeah... I can feel their restless soul.”

Kenzie and Tink looked upwards, nautical twilight shifting back to civil twilight like dusk making its cycle back to dawn well overhead. “How in the world did we survive that?”

“Magic!” Tink sang with a feathery flourish of his fingers. Laughter erupted between them; even Morro wasn’t immune to Tink’s infectious joy. As it settled down, Tink looked back up at the sky, a content sigh escaping his lips as he watched the dusty colors cross the hole they’d fallen through. “I’m not sure if you remember, but here in Twilight we have this saying: ‘Light and Darkness are closest at dusk.’”

“Huh... What’s it mean?”

“It means a lot of things,” Tink shrugged, casting a rune to light the way into the mines. “Day and night are two vastly different times of day, no? But overlap happens at the twilight hour, when the things that thrive during the day might be seen near their nocturnal counterparts. At least, it’s easier to see that they are more alike than we thought, in twilight.”

“That’s beautiful...”

Tink gave a breathy chuckle, looking forward down the path. The powdery sand gave way to the clunk-clang of metal flooring. It was still pretty dark, and torches few and far between. The two looked on in dismay as, down below, shadows lurked, moving like sludge among beasts Kenzie only knew from Lloyd’s stories. Behind them was a thunderous clang as something joined them. Kenzie screamed, launching the aeroblade and covering her eyes.

“Oof!” Kai? Kenzie peaked through her fingers.

“Kai! Oh, I’m so so sorry!” She rushed over and offered a hand up, hesitantly taking the weapon back.

“All good, KZ. I’m a lot more durable than that.” He offered a hand, and they shook.

☾

"Hmmm...”

“What?”

“Acxa and Ezor overheard that the Blades of Marmora are heading to Kryptarium Prison. And through my... little earworm... Runaan has informed me that he and Rayla sensed a brief spurt of fear.” Aaravos continued pacing, the resounding click of his boots beginning to annoy his father. “The assassins are powerful allies, but so are the Blades...”

“The Blades of Marmora are indeed powerful, but they, too, feel no fear. They’re also incredibly loyal to the Triforce~” Aaravos’ eyes widened as the pieces fell in place. “I recommend you leave this to me. I’ll just need to borrow a few things...”

☾

"I wonder if we’ll come across other kinds of Twyls in spirit form,” Nya pondered aloud.

“That’s morbid.”

“No! Ugh, I meant it’d be interesting to note the differences between various Twyls as they pass on.”

“No offense, but that’s still pretty dark,” Cole replied. He yawned, exhausted from all the fighting he and the others had done. These were the kinds of beasts Lloyd grew accustomed to in Jamonikai, as he was sure everyone else was. Doesn’t make ‘em any less annoying.

“It’s science,” Nya defended, crossing her arms with a huff that puffed through her gills as well, ruffling her jet black hair. Nonetheless she still conjured a water slide to bring them down to the next dungeon. “...Why is it so empty...?”

Lloyd looked. It is empty. But then the wolf looked.

“It’s not!”


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -New character!  
-Lore update!  
-TINKAAN  
-Nyx cause she's my gremlin and I love her leave me alone

Lloyd wasted no time tossing Delilah onto his back. Delilah wasted no time expanding a ring of her power, pulling it taut like a rubber band before it snaps. As Lloyd dragged it along it dragged right back. Why are there so many rats?

“More importantly, why are they all dead?”

Snap. Lloyd shot around, rats bursting on impact. How does this even work? Soon, everyone was in on the action, attacking whether they could see their enemy or not. Not that they had to - they’re awfully noticeable when their claws dig in. When all was said and done, Lloyd felt a major relief - and some heebie jeebies - but he was more concerned with the welts and scratches on his friends, some of which were bleeding.

“Ugh, FINALLY,” a voice said.

Lloyd squinted at the sound. A bead of light appeared, an eerie green flame like when he’d first embarked on this journey. It began to flicker, taking form. He had to shut his eyes against the light and wind.

When he could bear to look, Lloyd opened his eyes to a Skywing - a ghost, of course, but a Skywing nonetheless - with a relaxed smirk and TWO sets of sleek horns buried among her pixie cut. She stretched, tending to her hair and wings. “I’m Nyx, by the way. Ooooooooof, it feels like forever since I got stuck here.”

“What happened?” Nya asked, already in research mode.

The female hesitated, eventually deciding the truth wouldn’t hurt. “I’d been running from the Storm Spire where this fella Ibis frequents. He’s a Skywing born without wings - which I doubt you’d know given your company, but is most common. But he’s a powerful mage with lots of knowledge and spells,” she drawled, “and I’m a sucker for treasure.”

“So you stole from him,” Kolivan concluded, a gleam in his eye that Lloyd wasn’t sure he understood.

Nyx chuckled uncomfortably. “I suppose it’s true that assassin code: ‘Justice will not be denied.’ I did steal some of his scrolls, yes. And as you can see I’ve had time to review ‘em. Ugh, this place is so boring! But~ I do wanna thank you all for freeing me. So here, this one can turn your arms into wings. Nifty, huh?”

She handed the spell to Nya, who was still closest in order to examine the specimen. Nyx looked on with a proud ‘stance’ as everyone beheld the rune elegantly scripted on the cloth-like material. Lloyd touched his hand to the ink, shimmering and pulsing with life. This isn’t a gimmick.

“Hmmm... Twin Cosmics...” Nyx whispered, blackened eyes holding sparks of blue and gold. She approached Kenzie enough to bump horns, examining them. “Of the Garmadon family, too, no less, which means you’re the one that Aaravos fella is talking about. How... interesting...”

“Don’t you dare,” Morro seethed.

“The Blades of Marmora are sworn to defend the Triforce,” Kolivan elaborated as Nyx’s eyes and smile grew wider.

“We’re a family, and anyone who messes with that can answer to me,” Tink added.

Nyx tightened the arm she’d slung around Kenzie’s shoulders. “Oh, I only wanted a lock of hair to commemorate the occasion.” She turned her attention back to the Startouch. “Such a rare species, my rescuers. Wha’dya say, Cutie? With all that lovely hair of yours I’m sure it won’t begrudge ya.” Kenzie’s reluctance wore on Nyx’s patience, who added, “Perhaps should I cross paths with that fellow I could lead him off your tails with it...”

“He’s no fool,” Kenzie defended bitterly. Her fists were clenched white as she shook her head.

Nyx sighed, deflating. “Fine... Won’t forca ya. I should crack on with it, then. Goodbye, Triforce.” She flickered and faded, the blue and gold left in her eyes and the striking marks down her cheekbones the last to be seen before she was no more.

One last door opened, the path this time leading upwards.

☾

"Prince Aaravos has confirmed our suspicions. They’re nearby, and with a large crowd.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Go warn the others. We’ll split them up, and capture the Triforce.” Runaan stroked his chin. “Lotor is to come collect them.”

“I want Delilah,” Rayla demanded. Her gold-and-black eyes held murderous intent as she captured her mentor’s similar gaze. “I won’t kill her,” she promised, “but she’ll wish I did. She has to pay!”

Runaan placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing with understanding. “We will have our vengeance, but now’s not the time. Stick to the plan: divide and conquer. Keep them away from the Mirror.” Rayla nodded solemnly, dashing off to the old prison. I want the same as you, little moonbeam...

Images of halting a training session to remove a toddling young girl from the premises flashed through his thoughts. Waiting half a varga in hopes her parents would show, then toting her along on his next errand.

A dazzling new face at the smith shop, smiling like the sun. The fluttery feeling in his heart before young Rayla wanted to touch the Sunforge Blades. The drop - the skip - the pounding as the smith picked her up and ‘flew’ her like a Skywing into Runaan’s unsuspecting arms. “Your daughter is ADORABLE!”

“O-oh, thank- wait she-she’s not... my...”

“Oh! I’m so sorry! You just look so alike!” Did he just-?

Yes, he did. We didn’t know it then, but we were already falling fast and hard. Expanded our family and our hearts to include the Garmadons and the Okami girl that was left there.

Delilah... Her betrayal was cold and out of the blue.

You will pay...

☾

Astronomical twilight was waiting for them when they finally returned to the surface, as dark as possible with neither moon nor stars visible. The clouds Lloyd imagined were Nya’s doing had remained, conjoining to form the kind of clouds seen moments before a heavy winter storm. The air even tasted like petrichor, even though it still burned his lungs. And - without factoring Jay in - the charge was larger than life. Lloyd’s emotions quickly changed from feeling like he’d had a good long cry to bouncing around, ready to take on Runaan for a rematch.

“Delilah-!” Everyone’s attention turned to Cole and Delilah, who kept to the back of the pack. The Moonshadow was looking a bit unwell, her petite figure neither invisible nor floating.

“A Moonshadow’s power comes from the moon, waxing and waning in correspondence. There is no moon tonight, therefore Lady Delilah’s power dwindles as well,” Kolivan explained. He, too, was very clear to see. “This can be to our advantage,” he smiled. “The militia assassins won’t have as easy a time hiding themselves, either.”

Despite all the reassurance, Cole pulled Delilah onto his back, marching towards Kryptarium. Lloyd kept thinking it was strange, seeing the muted beige-purple of her skin against the silver-lilac of her almost floral markings, her cascades of black hair. The same can be said about Kolivan. Neither of them seemed intangible anymore, like the fleeting shadows beyond the range of sight. Not to mention he’s smiling more than usual.

MOONSHADOW ASSASSIN MOONSHADOW ASSASSIN MOONSHADOW ASSASSIN-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's exactly how the Tinkaan family happened don't @ me


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Tinkaan reunion on Dragon Day  
-lots of Tinkaan  
-author got SOFT TM and I had to self-insert a bit [yes, Kenzie is based on myself, and moments where "thunder claps" is me pretending Thunder/Avizandum likes what he sees; Delilah is also based off my bestie Nii-San in case you're wondering]

Runaan was a being of justice and flame, his milky white waterfall of hair lit by the campfire behind him. The silent spite shown through his piercing gold pinpricks.

He said nothing as he loosed an arrow. Lloyd knew better than to assume he missed; the fire that erupted was a warning. “You have no business here. To what do we owe your presence?” Again his voice wavered between the Lloyd recalled from his memories and the uneasy crack of their distressed friend.

“What has he done to you, Moonlight?” Tink whispered. The Sunfire approached the corrupted assassin like one inches towards a wounded animal. At the corner of his eye Lloyd could see Zane producing the Moon Primal Stone and shifting forward just as slowly.

The lovestruck assassin faltered only for a second, eyeing the Skywing in disgust. His eyes quickly glared daggers at Delilah as he claimed through gritted teeth that “Of course you’ve gathered others to hide behind, Twilight Princess. Truly you cannot be satisfied until every family is as broken as your own. You’re no warrior - you are a coward!”

She flinched. He did kinda raise her. Corruption or not, that’s gotta sting. Patting Cole on the back, Delilah Okami slid down. “Aaravos-”

“-Prince Aaravos.”

“...Prince Aaravos made you see a devastating illusion. I’m not sure what you saw because your mind is out of sorts, but-”

“-Good! Keep out of my head, witch!”

“Runaan!” Tink shyly opened his arms. Runaan considered for a moment, even twitching instinctively forward. “I’ve missed you, Moonlight...”

‘Moonlight’ shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I said stay out of my head! The Moon Primal is right there. I’m not stupid.” Tink took a few steps forward, trying desperately to close the gap. “Stay away, beast!” All the while Lloyd could hear their Sunfire uncle-of-sorts murmuring nothing but love and encouragement. This will work. It has to. Runaan shouted some profanity as he attempted to swat the now arms’ distance Tink, who gently caught his hand. “N-no... This isn’t real. I-it can’t be- I’m dreaming! You killed him...” he eeped out as his love pressed his trembling hand to his chest.

“Tink...” he crumpled, holding him so tightly, breathing him in, sobbing into his arms. Lloyd couldn’t hear what was said next as thunder clapped once more, but the moment ended when Runaan’s glacier blue eyes widened in horror. “I’ve made a terrible mistake...”

“So have I, Moonlight. But everything will be alright now.”

“No, I sent Rayla to warn the others. They’re preparing an ambush!”

☾

Kryptarium Prison looks like some ancient desert temple on the inside. Walkways of stone were provided through the soul-devouring oceans of sand.

Runaan led the way through the quiet entrance hall, fingers intertwined with Tink’s. It brought a smile to Kenzie’s face. She remembered times when the newly appointed Royal Tinker - it was going to be ‘Royal Blacksmith’, but the play on his name was irresistible - relaxed with her in the gardens as Runaan, Rayla, Delilah, and Lloyd all finished training. He had a large sketchbook that initially was filled with weapon designs, doodles of swirlies giving way to confetti hearts around hyper-realistic sketches of Runaan and Rayla. One such drawing that came to mind was Runaan’s soft gaze as he and Tink held hands.

Goals.

Eventually they reached what could easily be a ballroom leading to several rooms or corridors - whatever was behind those doors. Going up the steps on either side were dazzling flames that were white-hot but Kenzie swore shifted nuance of various colors.

But also on the steps were the assassins that chased her towards Jamonikai... But they once laughed at my jokes and taught me about certain procedures my brother had to do, how he had to train a certain way. Neither of them had an expression as they ripped the flames from the torches using some sort of lantern, probably deepstone since cousin Morro says it’s powerful.

“Wait!” Runaan shouted, but they were no longer listening to him.

Instead they scattered, somehow turning invisible despite the new moon.

“That flame opens the passage to the Mirror of Twilight,” Kolivan said. “We must get it back.”

“Can’t we just have Kai do a fire spell?” Jay asked matter-of-factly. Kenzie had to admit, other than the fire looking like nothing she’d ever seen, there wasn’t enough information to prove any flame couldn’t be manipulated or evolve to function just the same.

“No,” Runaan answered. “It’s the Flame of Wrath. The gods of the sixteen realms were angered by Galra hostility when they sent the Mirror of Twilight down to this location.”

“Aside from that,” Tink added, “magicks other than ‘aggro’ - a Moonshadow fading into the abyss, or a Sunfire’s heat-being mode - are all silenced in this place. In the rich history of this realm, many have called this place both the center of the universe and a place beyond life and death.”

Lloyd raised his hand. “I didn’t see Rayla...”

“She could be guarding the Mirror,” Nya suggested.

“I can feel her beyond that door,” D confirmed. “I wish I could do more.”

“Hey, for a Moonshadow in Kryptarium Prison during a new moon, I think you’re doing great,” Cole reassured, earning a grateful smile.

Note to self: ask these dorks how long they’ve been dating.

☾

When they split up, Runaan and Tink were hesitant to separate - Runaan essentially refusing - so they didn’t. As Lloyd’s godparents - a fact they reminded him of now - they volunteered to help him search the premises as a group. Kai tagged along, claiming he wasn’t interested in babysitting his sister and her boyfriend.

That’s one assassin. The other joined Delilah and Cole, and the Blade trainee guarded Kenzie alone. Somehow this didn’t bother Lloyd. He trusts Zane, a Blade of Marmora, a Twyl raised by a Dragon Guardian. Kenzie trusts him, which is so rare Lloyd had to double-take; he could count the people she willingly surrounded herself with on his hands! Perhaps she’s done some growing, like me...

And I guess Morro will be with them, too...

“Nervous having your sister alone with a guy?” Kai asked, nudging him playfully. “I may not like the relationship between Jay and my sister completely, but I like the guy, and I trust my sister’s decision-making. She’s a genius, after all. So I guess I’m saying just, trust Kenzie’s judgement. Plus, Zane’s a pretty cool guy, too.”

“I know,” Lloyd shrugged.

“Then what’s the problem?”

He paused a moment, thinking about all their time in Jamonikai, struggling with the Thurkiitu memories in a tug-o-war. “I lost my memory of this place in Jamonikai. All I knew was that Kenzie was my sis, and I’ve been sorta clinging to that ever since. Protect your best friend no matter the cost, screw everything else. D was practically expendable if it wasn’t for the fact that she was my guide. I’ve grown out of that, but Kenzie’s just... she’s my sister- she’s...”

“Precious?” Runaan suggested, sharing a look with Tink. His face fell. “When we ‘saw’ Tink die, every one of us in Aaravos’ militia swore we’d do anything to get him back. Unthinkable things...”

“Me, too...” Kai admitted, touching his Sunforge to a wide river of sand, turning it to glass. “I didn’t know Tink, and I wasn’t near the scene where it happened, but I was shown Nya... She was dying, and I needed the Triforce to help save her. Luckily I snapped out of it, but it was a real dark place...”

“...The Mask of Hatred filled me with intense fear and a desire to protect my loved ones,” Tink recalled. “The paranoia Aaravos let loose upon the Twin Realms- no, the paranoia Dark Magic set upon the realms is unprecedented.”

“You still think he can be saved?”

“He’s a part of our family, Moonlight. Dark Magic has affected him as it has the rest of us. How can we abandon him?”

“We shall see, My Love. We shall see...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Goals." - I melted every time I wrote a Tinkaan scene and I will continue to do so, but IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! The scene about Tink drawing Runaan is inspired by a post by @thewlwswin  
Super cool moot right there. Love 'em. Always has great hc's that make me SOFT.


	41. Chapter 41

According to Runaan, shifting into wolf form was permissible because the magic block in Kryptarium doesn’t apply to changes in appearance. This was a relief to Lloyd, as he found it easier to spot traces of Twyl magic in wolf form. Heh... After all this time hating this weird fursona, I finally feel comfortable with it.

“I wonder if Nya understands these...” Kai skimmed his hand across the walls. Someone had desperately clawed some sort of rune or language there.

“They’re runes of Dark Magic,” Runaan explained softly. “Aaravos is born of royal Galra-Altean lineage, blood affected by quintessence his grandparents tampered with a long time ago. Extraordinary amounts of Twyl Energy coarse through his veins. I fear it’s what made him susceptible to corruption in the first place. But he is a wise and clever archmage; he outsmarted us all, and took over the prison. He released criminals such as Nadakhan and his ‘Sky Pirates of Misfortune’s Keep’, and the ones who weren’t on death row were used...”

“It’s not your fault, My Love.”

“I was a passenger in my own body. I did nothing to stop him from taking lives - in fact I helped traffic the fuel necessary to punch the way to Ninjago.” For the first time since their reunion, Runaan released Tink’s hand, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

Lloyd trotted beside him, eventually shifting back. On one hand, Lloyd almost felt grateful. Since entering the Twilight Realm he’s made so many friends and reconnected with his family. Sure, it could be under better circumstances, but he always wanted an adventure.

On the other hand, it’s caused too many deaths. His mom’s. His uncle’s. Potentially D’s brother and Kai and Nya’s parents’.

It led to mine...

MOONSHADOW ASSASSIN- “Someone here?” He squinted so hard his eyes were nearly closed and aching. In limbo, a single assassin carried a Flame of Wrath.

“...Ethari...” the being gasped, unravelling from the twilight. “Ru...? We saw him die- we- what is this?” Gradually, as she put away the blade she’d withdrawn, the assassin’s eyes turned to a lovely shade of silver. “Tink, is it really you?”

Tink - Ethari? - chuckled, taking Runaan’s hand with an incredibly heartfelt smile.

“Oh yeah. No one can replicate that.” Her hair and chain headdress billowed and clinked behind her as she ran up to hug the couple. She then handed Runaan the Flame of Wrath before smiling warmly at Lloyd. Oh no. Another one on the list.

☾

Kenzie and Nya were chatting up some of the other assassins when they returned to the main hall.

Delilah and Cole had been mostly silent, as Kolivan was a Twyl of few words. Instead they stuck to conversing telepathically. There was a lot of flirting, mainly on Cole’s behalf, mainly on accident. The mind is a funny place when you aren’t passing it through your mouth’s filter. Telling a story can easily be done linearly, usually. Passing along information that way is more direct in nature of how it’s conveyed. But it starts in the convoluted labyrinthe of thoughts, memories, hindsights. To say a dog jumped triggers a memory of your favorite dog, the first time you pet one, a dream to house a few... or possibly a fear of them.

Cole’s mind was no exception. He thought about his parents a lot, and what they’d think about his adventure. He imagined his mother watching or following along, excited about his first journey outside Oppenheimer that wasn’t for the moonberry juice by the Air Temple. He worried about his father. He loved him, and wanted his approval, but the two couldn’t see eye to eye on much of anything. Loss drove a wedge between them that Cole hoped and prayed would heal.

Then she began thinking about the twins. They lost their only blood relatives back to back. She could only imagine how hard that must be. And then to get back up and keep going?

Perhaps Cole was right and I was too quick to assume. Kenzie - my best friend - watched her whole family - including her twin brother - die before her very eyes. Sure, Lloyd’s been revived, but that doesn’t make any of it less jarring. She’s also managed to empathize with Zane, Morro, Kai, and Nya. She’d most definitely grow closer with Jay, too, if he weren’t so afraid to let the others know he was adopted.

Wow. We all know way too much about loss...

☾

Lloyd watched from a safe distance as the Flames of Wrath were returned. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard a soft click. Then the door lifted up. Twilight flooded in from above that a spiral stairway led up to along the walls. It was much bigger, but Lloyd was confident he could handle it if he was able to do so in his childhood home.

“You just don’t quit, do ya?”

He dropped his gaze. Rayla glared bitterly, but Lloyd sensed she couldn’t see anything - Tink was right there before her, ready to welcome her with open arms. She held something in her hand, some odd, bowl-shaped and yet eerily familiar object.

“Justice will not be denied!” she vowed, shoving her face into the oddly-shaped-...mask... 

Wails of pain erupted from her, her body racked with convulsions as the evil consumed her. Everyone screamed helplessly, but it was far too late.

The Mask of Vengeance was in effect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY saw season 3 today. Loved it. Now I have a LOT of new info to work with.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is sad, and involves death. It also includes magic, which is always fun. And if you like Rayla - which, c'mon, we all do - you're in for a treat!
> 
> ...Sorta...

Rayla’s laughter bounced around the hall, laced with anger and despair. Rage surged through Lloyd’s veins. How dare Rayla be put in a situation like this? How dare Aaravos think that traumatizing a teenager was a good idea? Lloyd’s fists shook at his sides, wild tears flooding his sight: the sight of Rayla transforming into a giant demon with four arms.

He remembered his father’s lesson on the Art of the Silent Fist, and Delilah mentioning how difficult it can be fighting friends. He remembered Rayla’s laughter during training, sword-fighting with sticks over summer bonfires, her crazy guesses at constellations that sent his sister reeling with hiccups. The Rayla that started adoraburr wars during lunch break and always volunteered to help locate whatever Kenzie needed for her study under Uncle Wu and Aaravos, and pelt him with moonberries out in the streets of Thurkiitu. This was the Rayla who’d warned him about Aaravos after his trip to the region outside of Daibazaal.

But this isn’t the spunky girl he’d met when he was ten, but a vengeful oni, revelling in their misery.

“Aspiro frigis!” Zane shouted. Ice surrounded the four-armed demon just a few feet away, bolting it down similarly to Delilah’s energy rings. Gotta admit, I forgot Zane’s the same kind of Twyl as Jay. The Blade hovered over the struggling Twyl, chucking the Oni Mask to Ethari - Lloyd was trying to brand it to memory - who joyfully tossed it to Kai, who burnt it to a crisp. Jay then used aspiro to disperse the evil relic into the nothingness of Kryptarium quicksand.

Rayla struggled, breath coming out in visible puffs in the Twyl-made glacier. “You’ll pay for this! You’ll pay! Tink will come back!” she shrieked. Tears streamed down her face as she thrashed. There was no ‘inner vs. corrupted self’. There was no sense of relief, either.

A new wave of angry tears scorched his face as her parents embraced her. He and Kenzie crashed into each other, nails clawing as their friend lost her voice.

“Go,” Runaan whispered somberly. “We’ll take care of her.”

Lloyd refused - or rather, his body refused for him. How can I leave them like this? Something’s very wrong. A numb feeling travelled up his throat, the howl escaping him the sound of loss, of pity, of hopes and prayers. Are the gods really this twisted, to corrupt and blind an innocent girl, fill her with heartbreak until she passed out under the pressure? Is this really the world they swore never to neglect again?

“Shard says there’s been an altercation in Lux Aurea. Stolen from there was the staff used to judge trespassers,” Zane murmured. “It is feasible it was used on Rayla, temporarily blinding her. She will be alright,” he added, a bit louder this time.

“We must ensure the Mirror of Twilight remains intact, and the staff returned,” Kolivan whispered to Lloyd, nudging him towards the stairs.

With a solemn nod, they bade the assassins farewell; they desired to stick together.

☾

Sniffling. Blustering regret. Emotions Lloyd was all too familiar with. But who could be mourning in Kryptarium Prison? As they finally reached the floor where the Mirror was kept, a figure knelt before it, crying. Lloyd couldn’t help but notice how ornate it was for an object dropped into the realm out of anger, runes forged onto the wood in a delicate fashion. Reflected in it was the weeping Aaravos, and beside him, a glowing staff.

“I’m so sorry...” he sobbed. “I-I didn’t want th-this... I didn’t want to be a monster. I thought I was doing something go-good, but the Mirror doesn’t lie...” Palms pressed to his eyes, Aaravos shook his head miserably.

“...You’re not Aaravos...” Kenzie decided.

“How-? Starling, I know now that I’ve done wrong. Please, how can I be right again in your eyes?” He looked to his goddaughter with tears still flowing from his gold-and-black eyes.

“It’s not him,” Kolivan confirmed. He readied his luxite, hood and mask flying up.

Lloyd studied the Twyl more. Purple skin, white hair passing below the waist. Evil eyes with the white marks under them. All things Lloyd recalled from his few ‘encounters’ with the monster.

There was a trace of amusement in his eyes as he took the Sunfire wand in his hands, standing to full height. Pride seeped into a smile oozing with malice and a wicked sort of energy. “No. I’m not.” In an arcing motion, the imposter used the light staff to draw a rune, chanting, “Historia viventem!”

Played out in the moonlight was ‘Aaravos’ proudly mounting the steps to the Mirror of Twilight, blackened staff in hand. With a dirt-eating grin, the fake slammed the face of the mirror, shattering it and using Dark Magic - as the use of blood suggested - to send the pieces elsewhere. The sound of a door rising caught his attention, and disguised in startouch garb and by Rayla’s wounded cries, he drew another rune: an illusion.

“Where do you think my son gets his strategic touch?” the Twyl boasted, illusion around them fading away. With another dirt-eating grin he drew a broken diamond, shouting what felt like a curse to Lloyd’s sensitive ears. An angry ball of fire spiraled forward.

One rune, that’s all I need. Memories began pelting his thoughts. He turned to Kenzie on his back. This can’t be how it ends. One rune!

She was at his side, fingers laced with his. Energy raced through him, magic and adrenaline piloting his arms.

Whatever sound came out his mouth wasn’t his, either; it was familiar yet completely foreign to his person. But magic swirled around him and his friends. He could almost feel the heat, hear the haunting scream outside; the bubble ricocheted the untimeliness of death to the perpetrator. Is it wrong to feel relief? Loss? Should I grieve that only the staff remains?

“I will ensure the staff returns to Queen Khessa. The rest of you: locate the Mirror Shards,” Kolivan directed. He saluted, collecting the staff and leaving the way they’d come.

Empty and yet so, so heavy, Lloyd dropped to the floor. It was as if he’d plunged into the frozen lake, fragments of ice scraping his nose, his lungs. He thought about how nice it would be to see his parents as he watched his sister draw that rune again, the scene of the shattering playing over and over. Everyone was analyzing the moment the pieces were sent off. Everyone but Kai, who sat near him calmly. How can everyone be so calm?

Lloyd flopped onto his back, thinking about Courage. When tragedy strikes, people say to stay strong, have courage. Why? Why’s it so wrong to show empathy, sadness, or pain?

His thoughts drifted to Kenzie’s singing, and he soon found he was dreaming. D and Rayla were dancing gracefully in the spring outside Jamonikai, Kenzie lazily dragging her feet across the surface of the water to the beat of her song. He sat beside her, his built-in best friend, drinking in the warmth of the setting sun and of the moment.

As the sun was replaced by a sliver of the moon, the heat vanished entirely, Lloyd shivering into alertness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter means a lot to me. I improv-ed it with all that emotion [hopefully y'all can tell], and it - to me - felt like I was finally coming to terms with what I felt with my own losses. Enough sadness, though! I REALLY hope you enjoyed, and I'll be working on the next chapter soon. I'm thinking angst/fluff? We'll see if it happens in one chapter or across a few. Toodles!


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAUTION: mild language, injury, and Aaravos in this sce- CHAPTER...
> 
> Also this time I don't get into gorey details about the wound so we good.

As always, the Frozen Wasteland wasn't so forgiving.

"Thank you for coming, Chosen Ones," Shard greeted. Blinking the snowout of his eyes, Lloyd could see the dragon at ease in his pool, smiling as warmly as a reptile made of light could muster.

"So you know where the Mirror fragments are?" Always quick to the point, Nya got straight to business.

"There are three fragments you seek. One has landed near Rocky, one is safe in these woods, and yet another left this realm through the mountain-"

"-Woah woah woah woah WAIT," Jay interrupted. "One of the pieces is missing? How does that even happen?"

"It was flying across time and space," Shard answered, slightly irritable. "At the top of the mountains is another major breach which leads to an entirely different realm. One which I possess no authority in, and thus cannot help you with..."

Snow began to fall again, white powder latching onto Lloyd's eyelashes. He was certain he was seeing things when a bird appeared. A bird! Black against the never-ending white, a creature - the first living, breathing thing he'd seen in this realm that wasn't at least part Twyl - drifted graceful downward to perch on Zane's arm.

"Hello again, my feathered friend." He listened politely as the falcon exchanged formalities. "I see. Thank you... Everyone," he addressed, "go speak with Rocky. I will collect the one here, and meet you at the Wailing Alps. I suggest you dress warmly: the Blind Man's Eye is only semi-stable, thus we may wait a while before realm-jumping. Farewell, my friends."

☾

Smiling as a means to show the discipline of a proper Blade, Zane shook out his wings and took off.

“Manus Pluma Volantis!”

He knew that spell, committed it to memory by nature, though not for personal necessity. He quickly turned around, wind pulling his hood off as a lovely starling passed him up. Oh...

“What’re you waiting for? C’mon!” Princess Kenzie jeered, vigorously flapping her arm-wings.

“I can handle this one on my own. There is no need to risk yourself, Milady.”

“Too bad.”

“Pardon?”

“Too bad. You’re stuck with me.”

“And me,” Morro added snidely. Oh dear...

Zane sighed, taking Kenzie gently by the shoulders and lowering them to the fresh, powdery snow. The feathers covering her arms gradually vanished, revealing both the set of runes he remembered helping her draw, and the rising concern on her face.

He couldn’t lie. There was never a point growing up. In fact, he didn’t even know of nor comprehend the term until the first visitors appeared: Aaravos and the Royal Tinker - two people Kenzie is incredibly fond of.

Hence, he wasn’t about to start now, or anytime soon. “The falcon stored the Mirror is my house, which is a long journey. You are not particularly suited for long-term flight as of yet, and certainly not in this weather.” Naturally, she pouted. “There are also dangerous creatures in the surrounding area called Treehorns.”

“Treehorns.”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh, so I’m some damsel in distress, now?” she argued. “Need I remind you that I'm in the Triforce? That I grew up watching all my friends fight and train? Or that I’m a goddamn Startouch? I’m going, and even if you try to stop me I’ll just breach to you.”

“Kenzie...” He sighed. Seeing as his best friend was standing her ground, he eventually withdrew a map and compass from his pocket, offering them to the princess halfheartedly. Marked on the map was one tree in particular, a few vargas from the spring.

As she studied the map, Zane could see the gears turning in her head, her thumb stroking his father’s compass absently. Concentrating, she conjured a breach.

As exhilarating as dissolving into the cosmos could be, nothing beats returning home for the first time in phoebes. Not too much changed. The falcon perched on the large birch. The twilight grew darker, which means they needed to hurry.

“You live in a tree?”

Gesturing her to be silent, Zane nodded, slightly amused. He offered an arm and lead the way towards the tree, several feet away. The falcon squawked one, two, three...

“Quiznak...” Thump... Thump... Thump...

☾

Thump... Thump... Thump... Whatever Zane was so afraid of, it was drawing near.

The trees began moving unnaturally, rising and falling high into the darkened sky. Thump... Thump... Thump... 

A few dozen red eyes trained themselves on the pair, a sickening gurgle seeming to mist the area. It was like a horror story her brother retold to her. Thump... Thump...

She ran towards the tree, unsure of how it’d help until the dark and glorious form of the falcon swooped down and unlatched a door marked with a crest. She dove in, almost plunging off the narrow stairwell. The falcon made itself comfortable down below, eyeing her as if to signify she should do the same.

Hesitant, Kenzie looked to Zane for further guidance. He, however, was in a fierce battle with the trees - treehorn. Treehorns, as a matter of fact; they seemed to travel - or at least attack - in herds. I should help, she thought, leaving the safety of the treehouse and wrapping a hand around the aeroblade.

Just off to the side, more in her peripherals than anything, a figure of light stalked the perimeter. Aara?

“AAAaaagh!”

☾

Zane buried his face in a pillow, screaming and spazzing as Kenzie tried to reconstruct his wing. It has to at least look like a wing. It’d be nice to have more of that herb Tink used on Lloyd. But alas, she used some boards and rods from the workbench to fashion a splint and hoped for the best.

She gingerly wiped a tear off his cheek. She knew pain - in most cases better than anyone else. But a trampled wing was no joking matter, and definitely lay beyond the scope of her knowledge. She was afraid to touch him at all, in case she made everything worse. Perhaps this is the same fear her family had of her?

The piece of the Mirror of Twilight that they’d been searching for glared back at her from over the fireplace, taunting her. She watched her reflection furiously glow.

Why did you try to kill him?

“Protective, are we?”

Kenzie whipper her head to face the glowing intruder. A thousand curses prepared themselves, but Aaravos raised his pinky-less hand.

“I’m here on business. It’s only right I meet your little boyfriend, after all.”

“He’s not my-!” Kenzie huffed, trying to be reasonable. “Look, it ain’t like that, ‘kay?”

“Isn’t it?” he teased, cocking a brow. Kenzie folded her arms, fixing her gaze on the fire. “You still don’t want me around. Such a shame. This,” he proclaimed, gesturing vaguely towards Zane, “isn’t even my fault. It’s that self-righteous piece of glass’.”

Kenzie refused to speak. She knew from the moment she first heard its name that the Mirror of Twilight was bad news. It’s a weapon. How, she wasn’t totally sure.

And I’m too afraid to find out...

“I’ll strike you a deal,” her godfather chuckled. From thin air he produced a staff - not the one from Lux Aurea, though. The handle was much thinner, meant for a smaller hand, the azure reaching towards sharp triple-wings at the top. “The staff of Naimi-Selari-Nykantia. The only object that can control that little friend of yours in the glasses.”

Confused, Kenzie swiveled around. Presently, her mother’s glasses began to pulse, and Nyx appeared beside her.

“Hey...” she simpered.

“Sorry, Kenzie,” Morro said shyly, slipping into reality. He flinched a bit as Kenzie took him in for the first time. “She just seemed curious, and I wanted her to come out at her own pace...”

“Y-you didn’t do anything wrong, Morro,” Kenzie replied. She returned her attention to her godfather. “Don’t hurt them.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Darling,” he drawled, pricking his finger against the wings, upturned and proud. “I’ll let you keep the staff, and that wretched piece you’ve found, on one condition.”

“That being?” In spite of the blazing fire and air-tight door, it was suddenly freezing. Even the falcon ruffled its feathers in unease, squawking twice as if to say ‘WARNING’, ‘CAUTION’, DANGER’.

“Entertain me,” he said simply, flicking his fingers. Without a moment to spare he was runescripting. Dark Magic. Dark Aaravos.

Zane stirred behind her.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, Gamers! Today I have for you:  
-Aaravos being a doodoo  
-Oriande and the White Lionnnnnn!  
-Lore update for everyone's faaaaaavorite girl, DELILAH *John Cena music* [her backstory is always so cool like wow]

No... Zane turned golden irises towards his sore wing, the other tensing in anger. “Zane, you need to stay calm. I can help y-”

“-Help? Help? This is your fault!”

Kenzie’s heart was crushed under his boot as he strode forward with conviction. She knew he didn’t want her joining him, but he’s her best friend! She didn’t want him to be alone out here, especially if he were in trouble. And I’ve felt so alone lately, with D devoting so much attention to Cole. Surely he knows this, deep down, right? Unless...

“Aaravos cast a spell on you. He’s corrupting you, Zane! I would never-!”

“-There you go, feigning innocence.” Zane, so cold and empty, took the staff Aaravos offered him. They exchanged warm smiles. He used to smile at me that way... “To think I’d wrapped myself around your finger. You’ve disillusioned me, Kenzie, from the idea I may have even loved making a fool of myself for your entertainment.”

“It is quite frustrating, isn’t it, Zane?” Aaravos relaxed into a chair. “Loving someone who just can’t see it?” He twisted the chain on his cloak nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t actively ruining a perfectly good thing.

Kenzie looked to Morro and Nyz, who were frozen in shock and horror. Heart still on the floor, she clenched it angrily in her fists.

“They’re fine, Starling. I did promise.”

“You get angry far too much, Kenzie. It isn’t doing any good.” Kenzie. Not Milady, not Princess. Just Kenzie. Zane admired Nyx’s staff, testing its weight, discovering what looked like a boomerang discreetly attached between the other pairs of wings. “What does all of this do, My Lord?” That’s it.

“Give him back!”

“What ever do you mean, Starlight?” Aaravos chuckled.

“You know exactly what I mean! Let him go!”

Aaravos leaned on an elbow, not doing the best job of concealing his smile. “This IS entertaining! Zane, you’re a Blade of Marmora. Tell me what you would use it for.”

“Why are you doing this?” No answer. The two were oh, so fascinated by Zane’s ability to wave around some stupid, fancy staff that didn’t even belong to either of them. She looked back to her ghostly friends, still frozen. How is this not a problem?

“Because I can. I’m showing that I can. Persuading people is easy; I’m giving you a choice,” he explained softly, standing to embrace his little girl. “Endless magical summers around the bonfire, playing with the adoraburrs... Don’t you miss that, My Star? I do. I miss everything and everyone that time has stolen from me. It’s our sense of humanity, the thing that holds us down. Holds us back. Keeps us from living truly fulfilling lives. When love is threatened, we finally act. Any kind of love, my little one.”

“Love is an irrational source to act upon. Those acting on love behave sloppily and inefficiently,” Zane corrected.

Aaravos was impressed. “You’re right and you should say it. In fact, you should tell our Dear One why you’re wounded.”

“She distracted me.”

“And how is that? She was only looking at me.”

No... No, don’t say it. Please, Zane. Deep down you know I’d never-

“I was too busy looking at her. Of course it was the most foolish thing I’ve done since jumping from a tree in hopes of growing dragon wings.”

“He’s just repeating whatever you’re-”

“-Actually I’ve merely forced him to tell all his truths, My Darling. Corrupting a dragon is much more difficult than I make it look. I need to take not only him, but the parts of him the Guardian holds onto, and the Guardian themselves for good measure... and for fun... Face it, Starling, I have far more access to his every thought and memory than he’s allowed you, and I’m bringing it to light.” The archmage undid whatever was left of Kenzie’s braid, twirling the kinky tresses with one hand and waving the other at the ghosts.

A breath released that Kenzie hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Morro looked ready to fight, but Nyx was drained of every beautiful, goofy thing that made her the Nyx Kenzie secretly admired.

Her staff... It really does control her.

“Naimi-Selari-Nykantia,” Zane commanded, swaying in delight. “Take the Mirror of Twilight, and Kenzie Garmadon hostage.”

“Kenzie, run!”

☾

"Welcome back, Young Garmadon, King of this realm.” As before, the White Lion led the way through twisted paths strewn with old bones. “I feel the wrath of the gods among us, I presume from the mysterious object that’s infiltrated my sacred province.”

“We think it’s a piece from the Mirror of Twilight,” Cole explained. “This guy Lotor broke it and sent pieces everywhere. The Guardians say one landed near here.”

“It is wise to trust the Dragon Guardian Spirits of the Light. Since the object’s arrival I’ve been micromanaging the ruins; the necromancy staff Narti brought upon your last visit has since been reactivated by a force within this enclave, yet foreign to it. I only finished putting down the latest wave of Unworthy when you arrived.”

“That’s gotta be annoying,” Kai sympathized in the way only Kai does.

The White Lion chuckled. “Yes.”

Lloyd became vaguely aware that this just might be a different path than he remembered. “Where are you taking us?”

“I lead the Triforce to a special place where the Mirror was last seen.” With these words a stone door came into view. “I will keep the land clear for your return. Perhaps with the object gone, the Unworthy shall relearn their place.” Despite his serious nature, the White Lion had a hint of amusement as he waited for everyone to enter the lonesome door that seemed to lead nowhere. There was no wall. Even opening it did nothing. With what appeared to be a smirk, the lion roared, a magical aura swirling around the now magical doorway. “The Temple of Time, the mirror into the Oriande of old. Good luck.”

☾

Almost instantly, Delilah was able to see the Oriande Ruins in all their glory. It was like being in a castle or church... To call it the Temple of Time was fitting, but it also resonated with her in a curious way. But unlike the last few times her curiosity got the better of her, she decided not to scamper off.

“This place is incredible!” Nya gushed, breathing it in. “I wish Kenzie were here to see this.”

“Me, too,” Lloyd admitted. I wish she hadn’t decided to go with Zane, but I can’t be selfish. Kai put a hand on his shoulder, giving a friendly squeeze that said, We talked about this. She’s okay. You’re okay. You got this. Lloyd smiled back, reassured.

Whereas the castle in Daibazaal was shrouded in deceit and mystery, Oriande in its prime exuded knowledge and magic. Wisdom and Power, eh? What a duo.

Delilah shook her head clear, opting to relish in the crisp marble floors and sleek catalogues. “I remember the fall of Oriande- the story, I mean. I was too little to really know...”

“Go on, D.”

You are so sweet, Brookestone... “My brother, Neuro, said that even after the war against the Galra was settled, the fighting continued because of a newer species that secretly rose and aligned themselves with Zarkon and his empire: the Serpentwyls. Alteans visited Oriande at least once in their lives almost like a coming-of-age ritual since Oriande is considered the birthplace of all Twyls. And obviously it’s an old place the Alteans held sacred to them, so it took a while to find, hence all the mines.”

“Wait, so Oppenheimer mines were...?”

“Yeah. Most mines started off as tunnels the Constrictai dug searching for this very spot. I... vaguely recall us having to leave our village as it was being destroyed... But eventually Oriande was discovered - although its location still wasn’t made public knowledge - and attacked.

“But before it could be reduced to dust, people - mainly of Altean decent, I hear, but there were others - rose up to defend the sacred land. In fact, Lloyd, Misako told me that’s how she met your father.”

“Woah, really?” I can’t wait to tell Sis, he thought excitedly.

Delilah smiled contemptuously as they approached the main hall. She knew it had to be this one; she felt a presence beyond the door not too different from while they were at Kryptarium. From the thoughts that drifted to her, Rayla was okay, though still a bit shaken. All that matters now is that she, Runaan, and Tink all made it home safely to Silvergrove. She thought back to when she was little. Her old village - its name long-forgotten - crumbling before her very eyes for reasons unknown to her at the time. Big Brother carried her as he rode his prized moonstrider - who’s name she’s also forgotten - towards the safety of the woods.

The memory of her first time in Silvergrove danced alongside her train of thought as she slowly began to realize there was something fishy about this place. Hmmm...

“That’s odd,” Nya said suddenly. She appeared to be studying an empty pedestal tucked away within the wall. “Every statue in this facility has its match in a symmetrical spot of the temple. There’s a magic seal on this door, but I think finding the match will unlock it.” Nya smiled proudly at her assessment.

She is sooooo awesome... And pretty, Jay’s thoughts echoed as he gazed at the Oceancrest fondly. They are ridiculously cute.

“Alright, then. That’s what we’ll do. Great work, Nya,” Lloyd agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know her, you love her. We're talking about DELILAHHHHHHH!!!! As previously mentioned, she's an OC based on the BESTEST big sis ever: Nii-San. AAAAAAND it just so happens that Delilah's backstory is derived from stories Nii-San wrote on her. Fantastic, right? Okay, so now you're gonna check out @TheMutedDJ on Twitter, cause she's sooooooo cool and a really great artist/writer. Do it. You won't regret it.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, Gamers! Today I have for you~:
> 
> -LOTS of Delilah content! You're gonna love it. 
> 
> -Something for Cole. If you love the famous black ninja, you shall be fed m'dears.
> 
> -The aftermath of when a parental figure says something mean. A little intrusive thoughts. Nothing bad, but if you gotta hear this, please do: Your feelings are valid.
> 
> There. All warnings accounted for.

These statues feel so... odd... It definitely wasn’t something Cole was ready to discuss aloud. Just as the sensation passed over him, he was already doubting himself. Delilah squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Coming out of another corridor, Delilah - as well as everyone else, for that matter - was in absolute awe of the enormous scale fitted as a walkway to the upper floor. It was the most incredible sight, and even though she could easily bypass the puzzle she’d rather deal with it head-on. “C’mon!”

☾

Oriande seemed to be a world of puzzles and patience. Lloyd felt bad not having his sister around to enjoy it with. She would’ve loved this game of moving dragon sculptures and alternating floor layouts based on color-changing crystals. Lloyd imagined how such a seren, fun place was worth venturing to at least once in a lifetime. He could imagine it being a place anyone would want to spend the rest of their lives.

Somewhere amongst all the playful chaos they came across a figure, tall and muscular with playful pink and blue hair glowing in the shadowy ways of the Moon Twyls. And lying just beyond them was the missing statue. Suddenly all good feelings evaporated. Lloyd adjusted and scouted the area. Three targets. The statue, the weirdo, and something just up ahead. Okay, cool. Nice and simple.

“I can’t hear their thoughts,” Delilah noticed. Lloyd knew that wasn’t a good sign. And boy, was it a bad omen. The creature turned, malice in her eyes. Old Oriande’s temperature dropped to a menacing new low, topping all other chills Lloyd ever felt up his spine. This includes Zane coating him in ice.

“Heh heh... Hey,” Jay stuttered. He shook it off, flexing his electric wings. “We need that statue.”

Instead of replying, the Twyl wielded the club Lloyd was eyeing much more dangerously now.

“I think she’s like Narti: a homunculus,” Delilah reasoned.

“I need that staff...” Cole whispered almost inaudibly. But Lloyd heard, anyway. It was one of his targets, his senses told him. And now it’s important to Cole. Whether that’s coincidence or destiny, Lloyd wasn’t all that sure, yet.

But he knew what he wanted it to be.

☾

Delilah was happy to hear Cole silence the turmoil in his head. Two loud tunnels leading to his head and his heart. Did he want to believe he could feel something in the statues? No, not necessarily. But he didn’t want to fight it off anymore, either. In his words, Might as well.

Lloyd and Cole began simultaneously planning their attacks, telling D they needed her. It was a simple statement that shouldn’t have skyrocketed her confidence as much as it had, and she was happy to help, but it just feels so good to be needed by two of the most important people in my life, especially after what Runaan said...

She wanted to just let it go and simply forgive Runaan, but it hurt. It was wrong, even if he didn’t mean it and it was the corruption talking. It was still wrong. But he’d never- Doesn’t matter.

Doesn’t matter that he was among the first she met after her old village was decimated. Or that he and his husband took care of her alongside Rayla when the three moved to Thurkiitu. Or that those years together in the city as a family were her favorite. Doesn’t matter.

Doesn’t matter because all of the things that weren’t her fault continued to haunt her. They all came back like a slap to the face the moment Runaan dared say she wanted every family as broken as her own. Is my family broken? She didn’t know her parents, and her brother was always gone and now she knew why. Misako was gone, and she was the closest person Delilah had to a mother. Yeah...

So she aided the homunculus take-down and shut out whatever other nasty thoughts trying to intrude.

With the beast vanquished, everyone got to work trying to move the statue. D tried her spare hand. Nya summoned a wave using a sack of water she’d saved for emergencies.

What the-?

Delilah turned to Cole, who was absolutely mesmerized by the staff. She couldn’t tell if it was real or if it was merely a manifestation of her telepathy, but a breathtaking energy poured out of the club and wrapped around her boyfriend at an almost alarming rate. But he wasn’t scared or confused. Instead, a wave of peace washed over him.

“The Dragon Rod...”

☾

The weapon is... a tool... “That’s so cool!” Jay exclaimed, echoing Lloyd’s thoughts. “Erm, what’s it... do?”

Cole practically cradled the ‘Dragon Rod’, not in a creepy, possessive way but more like a parent holding their child. “My mom used to tell me stories about the dragons that lived between realms. Kinda like how the Sunfires have their staff, the dragons had their own they’d use to bring the world to life for the gods. It was meant to entertain them as they waited for their creations to grow... I can’t believe they’re real. I can’t believe I’m holding one...”

“You look great, Buddy,” Kai said, patting the giant Earthblood on the back.

Nya hummed thoughtfully, squinting - almost glaring - at the statue in question. “Cole, do you think you can bring that statue to life?”

Cole froze, looking to the staff for an answer. Lloyd could see the effect these two forces of nature had on each other. Cole was literally glowing. The club - Dragon Rod - came to life. He knew the answer before Cole even spoke.

But instead of speaking, Cole pointed the glowing end of his staff at the statue, which rumbled to life. ...But where’s Cole?

“Uhh... This feels... weird...” the glowing statue said. Wait- what?


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You thought I was done for the day, didn't you? HAH! Jk, I thought so, too.

The whole way back all Lloyd could think was, What the hell what the hell what the actual hecking quiznak? And while it could be attributed to his feral amounts of confusion, he was pretty sure everyone else was thinking the same thing.

They most certainly are, Delilah told him.

Now, the thing about Oriande is that whoever built this place REALLY liked puzzles involving pressure plates and various triggers, and also really large bells. Helping Cole around the gates, lazers, and ever-changing here-again-gone-again walls was no simple task. But once in a while they’d get him beneath a bell and poof! He’s Cole again. They were greeted by the statue once more in the next tricky room.

Oh, and it wasn’t just the one statue. Every sculpture could be possessed. It was hilarious watching him.

Eventually they found themselves in that first hall. The door still appeared locked. Lloyd knew to expect something behind it; his head was already pounding, warning him that whoever was beyond that door was dangerous.

What once might’ve been a beautiful woman sat at her vanity, white hair loose at her waist. She was much older now, and looked distressed by the angry red marks on either cheek. Her eyes were unlike anyone’s - yes, her irises were gold, but not surrounded by the deep black Lloyd typically associated with a foe. And yet his head still pounded.

She caught sight of them, pulling her hood up defensively as she turned to face her uninvited guests. Her dark skin turned deep purple and her eyes glowed soft yellow as her raspy voice called out to a ‘Kova’. Is that really a cat?

“I suppose you’re looking for the Mirror of Twilight. I sensed my son’s use of Dark Magic and, as usual, helped him. I called it to me.”

“You’re... Y-you’re... Honerva...” Delilah gasped.

“In a past life, yes. I was Honerva, Empress of the Galra. Friend of King Alfor. But then we discovered Quintessence, and things went wrong. I thought it was noble to push the boundaries of safety in pursuit of knowledge. I forgot everything that mattered to me: my husband, my son, our people...

“When I came to, all was lost. The Empire had fallen, and my family was in mourning. They didn’t even recognize me. So I played along. I was their High Priestess Haggar, who they came to seek counsel in as a powerful user of Dark Magic in Honerva’s absence.”

Lloyd was trembling so hard he changed back, holding himself together on the marble floor. Honerva, the very Honerva Zarkon told him about in Daibazaal, who he said had died. The Alteans spread rumors about her going mad and killing herself... It’s all too much...

“I returned here when the Mirror of Twilight was discovered. I know it was used to kill every last one of my followers. I see now that I’ve led far too many people, including my own son and grandson, down the same path as me. The wrong path. Here,” she said, pulling from her vanity the ragged, reflective shard of glass and giving it to Lloyd. “I know who you are.”

“H-how...?”

“I been watching all along. I know that my husband and son have died, corrupted as I had once been. Although I mourn their presence on your earth, I’m grateful they are free because of you. Words cannot express my regrets for bringing about such a plague. Put the Mirror back together, and use it on my grandson if you must,” she pleaded, looking and sounding like Honerva. “He preys of grief, and- even now he’s trying to corrupt your sister. Hurry. To the Wailing Alps. There’s a Marmorian outpost there guarding the Storm Spire.”

You don’t gotta tell me twice. Lloyd reverted and launched Delilah onto his back, charging down the hall and back to reality. His mind was as clouded as when he came back from his meetings at the Moon Nexus.

Somehow he found himself shivering along the slopes. D must’ve breached us.

Wait- why didn’t she mention Kenzie was in danger?

He thought he was going to break his teeth with all the chattering. He weighed tons as ice and snow coated his veins. He had the most overwhelming urge to sleep.

Quiznak. I can’t keep going like this. Kenzie needs me!

Kenzie needs me...

Kenzie...

☾

A snowball exploded on the back of his head, Delilah’s giggles ringing in the air. She raised both hands to show she was ‘unarmed’, but her magic hand have her away.

In a cocoa-fueled sugar rush, Lloyd chased Delilah all the way into Thurkiitu’s charming markets, tossing snowballs back and forth that narrowly missed innocent bystanders.

It was all fun and games until one was struck.

“Runaan! I’m so, so sorry!” Delilah fretted. The tall man chuckled and brushed the powder out of her dark locks. “What are you doing here?”

“Why, the Queen requested us as replacement for the older soldiers.”

“But the Dragon Guard...?”

“Oh, no, Sweetie. They’re very special. In fact...” Runaan trailed off as he beckoned the other very tall gentleman who carried a bundled-up little snow-elf. “Remember my friends, Tiadrin and Lain?” Delilah nodded. “This is their daughter, Rayla. And this is my husband, Ethari.”

“Hello. You can call me Tinker, if you’d like. Or Tink,” the Sunfire smiled, kneeling as well and offering his hand to shake. He did the same for Lloyd.

Rayla turned her big, lavender eyes on him curiously. “Ventis spiralis.”

☾

Lloyd coughed in a gust of wind. It hurt. He’d shivered so much that every muscle in his body screamed.

Standing aside from the dogpile was an unfamiliar Twyl. SKYWING... though he was nearly as dark as Lloyd had come to expect the Moonshadows to be, considering their shadow-like nature. And beside him was-

“-Kenzie!” He nearly toppled her over, heart pounding and tears racing. “H-h-how...? Honerva s-said-”

“-He got Zane.”

“W-what?”

“I don’t know how, but... Aaravos followed me, and... a-and...” She collapsed back into Lloyd.

“I’ll give you two your space. Let me know if you need anything, Your Majesties,” the Skywing smiled, taking his leave.

“Wait!” He turned, greyish-white eyes filled with concern. “Who are you?”

“My name is Ibis, and you shall be safe here at the Storm Spire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're curious, Old Oriande/Temple of Time is taken straight from gameplay I watched of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, minus all the hostiles. I found those levels particularly interesting, as you might've noticed. Anyways, if you're curious about the gameplays that I watch, check out Halberder84 on YouTube.
> 
> See y'all soon!


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally took a break from the angst, y'all. I think this chapter is kinda cute. Since Kenzie is finally back in the picture, I wanted to show a bit on how she interacts with people important to her.

"Sounds... familiar...” Lloyd pondered. So much has happened lately, though...

“Well it should: Nyx told us.”

“Oh, right. The girl who wanted your hair.” Kenzie cringed at the memory. “I wonder what she’s up to.” She groaned again. “Alright, what’s up? You don’t usually act like this after seeing Aaravos.”

“I guess while she was on the run she dropped her staff, and because it meant so much to her it can be used to control her. But Aaravos and Zane have it...”

“Wait- what? She’s-?”

“-She was hiding in Mom’s glasses - I didn’t know!”

“Okay... So then what?”

“Morro distracted them so I could make it here. I have the shard - rather, Ibis is watching it for us. He’s also taking care of Morro. He’s very tired.”

Lloyd sighed, running a hand over his face. He looked at his friends, calmly sleeping together in what looked like a large and beautiful nest. “I thought the Blades guarded the Storm Spire?”

“They are. Ibis often works alongside them. He was telling me about it when he was alerted you’d arrived. Between this blizzard and high elevation, he worked double-time to make sure everyone was safe. Plus, he doesn’t have wings. I am astounded!” she added, flailing her arms and poofing out her hair. With a tired giggle she turned to a set of hooks on the wall.

From one of the hooks she plucked a deep green, almost black fabric and playfully tossed it at his face. She grabbed another and wrapped it around her shoulders. What’s with people and cloaks, here? “C’mon!” she chirped. “I wanna show you something.”

“You said there’s a blizzard.” She blinked. “Oh, fine.”

The way up passed through several icy clouds. The cape was thick enough, however, that it was bearable. And at the Spire’s peak was a beautiful, mysterious view of Twyl. Lloyd’s heart squeezed at the sight.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

“Yeah...”

“Oh! And see this gate?” she asked, scampering towards an arch engraved with more runes. “The Blind Man’s Eye is a moving breach, so this gate was built as a mechanism to hold it in place for a few vargas.

“And over there,” she jumped, “is the B.M.E. It’ll be here in a few vargas, so... rest up, I guess!” She was smiling despite how tired she looked.

Lloyd couldn’t stand it anymore. “You don’t have to pretend everything’s okay, Sis. I’m here for you.”

“Where’s this coming from?”

“We’ve known each other our whole lives, Kenzie. I know when you’re upset or overwhelmed, just as much as you can see it in me. A lot’s happened that we’ve yet to talk about. I can understand the act in front of everyone else, but not me, okay?” His twin only pulled the cape tighter around her. “Okay?”

“...Life’s gotten pretty hectic, hasn’t it? But I’m not pretending. I really am optimistic. We’re going to fix this mess and life will go one as it was meant to... It’s like we’ve lost our place in a book, and now we’re skimming in search of where we left off, y’know?”

“Yeah.”

They huddled together, watching the clouds die down their ruckus and drift away. He wondered what Zane was up to, where he and Aaravos were. Why hadn’t they caught up? Honerva said her grandson preyed on grief. What on earth was he doing?

Someone cleared their throat behind them. The twins twisted to face Ibis. “Your Majesties, I took the liberty of informing the Blades of Marmora about the... situation with your friend. What’s happened to him is dreadful, but watch has doubled if not tripled around Wailing Alps. As promised, you are in safe hands.”

“Thank you, Ibis. Um, how is everyone?”

“When I checked, a few were waking up. Your cousin still needs rest, but his presence has strengthened. He’ll be fine.”

“Cousin?”

“Morro.”

“O-oh...”

Silence weighed as heavily as the atmosphere while Lloyd filed that away in ‘Things to Remember: Basically Everything’. Of course he was aware the ghostly nuisance knew his uncle. It was one of the first - and only - things he mentioned to him.

“I’ll meet you two downstairs for a meal. You’ll need all your strength for realm-jumping. Manus Pluma Volantis!” the mage chanted, spreading his tattooed arms - the white ink contrasting his dark skin tone as they began to glow - and growing chocolate-y brown feathers he happily used to glide back down the spire.

☾

"You made an excellent assessment earlier. You’re a brilliant man, Zane, which is why I’d like you to help me.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Grief is a very powerful weapon.”

“That is correct.”

“What if I told you I know a way to end grief? Together, the Triforce has the ability to alter reality. We can use this power to end mortality. Everyone can live among their loved ones forever. Without the threat of death, people will act more precisely.”

“What’s the catch?”

“We need Kenzie on our side. She’s a stubborn one, but she has a soft spot for us, and is the soft spot of the others. So, will you be my partner?”

Zane smirked, rolling the staff between his palms. “What do you think, ‘Nyx’?”

“Yes,” she uttered, the light in her eyes vanishing.

☾

"You should be resting.”

“I know, but I’m worried.”

“I understand... So, wanna talk about it? Or would you rather be distracted?”

“Distracted,” Morro answered quickly, light around the aeroblade sputtering. “What did I miss?”

“Not too much. Lloyd and the others got here while you were out, and now Ibis is giving them a tour. Turns out the Storm Spire is basically an inn for travelling dragons.”

“Which you think is awesome.”

Kenzie giggled from her seat among the lush, mossy nest. She took a deep breath as she looked up at the ceiling. Lloyd’s words played back in her head. ‘You don’t have to pretend like everything’s okay’. “Ibis is almost done recharging a Dragon Rod Cole found. Should be done in time for the breach to show up. I’m excited to see another realm, but I’m not too thrilled about why.”

Morro hummed sympathetically. The room fell silent for a spell, and something about the ambiance reminded Kenzie of her mother.

A long time ago, Kenzie sat in Misako’s lap, sniffling because of the pain. It was keeping her up, and was getting worse because of the cold. Rain pattered against the window, a singular roar of thunder startling and tensing her already pained muscles.

“That is the sound of Avizandum speaking to us. He says he hopes you feel better.”

“Avinum?”

“Avizandum, king of the dragons. He and his wife, Zubeia, and their son, Azymondias, travel between the realms watching us. To be touched by a dragon spirit, to bond with them, is very special, and bestowes great power, because they spend much of their lives in a wonderful place called the Cloud Kingdom.”

“Ooooh, can we go there?”

“One day, perhaps...”

“Kenzie?” The princess jumped, not realizing she’d fallen asleep. Nya was leaning over the lip of the nest. “Hey. The Dragon Rod is done recharging, and the BME’s just a few doboshes away. You ready to go?”

“Hey, Uh, y-yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”

“And is Morro ready?” He didn’t respond, but his energy remained in the aeroblade tucked under Kenzie’s arm, so she nodded. “Alright, then. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot the most important part! Back while I was taking digital imaging class, I made the view you're meant to see towards the beginning during Kenzie's mini tour. 
> 
> ...aaaaaand unfortunately I don't know how to make it a link to place here buuuuut it's in the always superior Google doc version! You can check that out here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IzzKTJc_iCmgdfO1lol_m-tDPQLt_kYXMY4lqHf--0g/edit?usp=sharing


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii!!! Been a minute, hasn't it? Well, my birthday was over the weekend and overall with the holidays coming up I haven't been able to TYPE [how rude]. But I catch myself telling Nii-San "This is the best chapter yet" with every. Single. Chapter. So, like, y'all better show some love. Jk, enjoy as you will!

Kenzie didn’t remember her first jump to Ninjago, or the first back to Twilight, but she did remember going through the Breach where they found Tink. It felt like passing through rippling water without getting wet. It wasn’t the same as when she created a breach, though; hers were just blips in reality, not the natural kind.

But this one was slightly different, just a smidge. Touching the breach did in fact feel like water, but... Maybe the distance is wider? Sometimes during sleep it can feel like falling, and that’s exactly how it felt - only it didn’t stop.

When her heart rate slowed to a bearable pace, she opened her eyes, warm in her brother’s arms. She felt sleepy and restless all at once. Something was wrong.

So for the first time in what felt like eons, she practiced something Delilah taught her. She started counting.

First she tried the clouds, but found them indistinguishable, so onto the next thing: sky boats. Sky boats? Yes, Mama said Cloud Kingdom’s a city in the sky and there’s...

She began counting faces. The pressure between her ears was growing and the lack of oxygen was making it hard to- “-Jay,” she said simply, holding out her heavy hand. Someone took it, warm and just as heavy. There was something Shard had mentioned. She had done it earlier with her brother. It was the adrenaline and the fact that they were both Cosmics that it had worked so well, she was sure. Jay was still new to his element, and there was no blood connection, but this is life and death...

But it was working. It felt like pulling an elastic to its limits. It was wavering. You can do this, she reminded herself. She pictured Ibis, the two of them heaving relieved sighs once everyone was inside. And then there was the thing, the last necessary thing to keep them alive.

With her free hand she etched into the wind the S-like curves, Ibis’ voice ringing in her ears. ‘Ventis spiralis...’

A mind link. That’s what Shard referred to. And as the air rushed into her lungs, a gust of wind pushing away the thick black fog in her head, she recalled being taught about it in the castle. She’d been morally opposed to taking over the consciousness of another, and even in dangerous situations such as those she’s faced lately, she had a hesitant little voice in her head. But now she realized it’s the sharing of consciousness, not the usurping of it.

Hold on - Jay’s adopted? Woah. Dude, you really oughtta tell everyone!

I know... Thanks...

It’ll be okay. I’m sure of it.

When they let go Kenzie felt like her whole body had fallen asleep and was prickling away, except fuzzy instead of sharp. Her brother had a proud smile on his face as he helped her to her feet. “Well, we’re here,” he shrugged, trying to sound as if he weren’t splitting at the seams with the excitement his grip portrayed.

“Why, if it isn’t the Garmadon Twins! Kenzie and Lloyd, how are you?” a man who clearly knew them greeted. Thanks to her godfather’s interference she gained much of her memory back, but this... monk was nowhere in sight. “I am Fenwick, Head Writer in Cloud Kingdom.”

“‘Head Writer’?” Kai asked.

A shorter and much younger monk piped up beside Fenwick. “The monks of Cloud Kingdom write the stories of the people of the other fifteen realms. It is a gift bestowed by the original Triforce. It’s a way to guide and help others, as well as entertain ourselves, sometimes.”

“But it is also a burden of responsibility. This is my apprentice, Nobu. One day he will take my place and communicate with the dragons, helping enact the will of the Triforce.”

As they walked down the floating bridges and through rooms of scribbling Writers, Kenzie felt an aching sense of familiarity. Probably from all of Mama’s stories, she reasoned as she tugged her cloak tighter. Bubbling out before she could think to stop it, “Is Avizandum one of them?”

“Yes, he and your mother were frie- oh!” Nobu caught himself, looking guiltily to his master.

“Don’t worry. It won’t hurt them,” Fenwick assured wistfully, petting a shadowpaw as it passed. The twins shared a look. “Misako was born during the Galra-Altea War. For her protection she was brought here while her parents went on to ‘fight the good fight’. They never returned,” he said gravely. “She was a candidate to be Head Writer, as she had a natural affinity for forseeing the gods’ desires. We were very proud of her.

“Then, during what is now called the Serpentine Wars, two brothers led a resistance to protect and aid those affected by the Constrictai devastation, and defend the great city of Oriande. Misako left our realm to save that of her birth, in the process falling in love and becoming the Cosmic Queen of the Twilight Realm. We are terribly sorry to hear of her fate. We are not meant to interfere with the Master Plan, and her decision blindsighted us all.”

“She saved us all,” Delilah eulogized. It enraged Kenzie, her hair getting in her face in agreement. It’s not fair.

“Zubeia says perhaps there’s a way to rewrite destiny. Aaravos’ curse has been blocked by her soul. Should the curse be broken, she can be brought back. Your uncle, too,” Nobu said hurriedly. Fenwick’s glare did not escape Kenzie’s scrutiny.

“How can we do that?” Cole asked.

“The Mirror of Twilight, when used passively, will be able to transport you to the source of evil in your world. Defeat the evil, and the curse should break.”

“No pressure.”

☾

Eventually they came to a very grand double-door, said to be where they stored any random object that wound up in their realm. Is it because we’re talking about Mom, or am I really suspicious of Fenwick? Lloyd really wished there wasn’t always some big secret around every corner.

SKYWING SKYWING SKYWING... No, not now... SKYWING SKYWING SKYWING...

“This is probably the easiest-” Cole pushed open the door and saw Nyx with her hands wrapped around the Mirror shard. “-Oh, come on!”

Lloyd sensed danger just as the large double doors sealed shut, followed by a yelp. Little Monk!

“Nyx! I’m so glad you’re alright,” he could hear Kenzie cry. But she hesitated. “You can fight this. I know you love your staff but it doesn’t own you.”

The treasure hunter said nothing, her gaze completely black and empty. Even her expression was blank. Hmmm... Lloyd squinted. This wasn’t corruption. He didn’t have a clue on how to fix her, or even if she could be fixed.

“Hey, D. Analysis?”

“Eh well we can deal with the angry, corrupted Blade first and go from there.”

“Good point.”

“Finally, the whole Triforce within grasp. We can do this efficiently, or less so,” Zane grinned, eyes glowing in the dim storage room.

“Look at you,” Kai snipped. He strutted forward, daring to pinch the Marmorian garb between his fingers. “So much for honor and defending the Triforce.”

“I have a new directive: to bring the emperor the Triforce.”

“Zane, come on, Buddy!” Jay pleaded. “We’re friends.”

The Skywing in question glowered. His grip on the simple staff tightened until his knuckles were stark white. He kept glancing at Kenzie, who was fidgeting. Lloyd tensed, launching to grab hold of the staff between his jaws as Zane used it to knock something from his sister’s hand.

It shattered, light dancing between ghosts of people and animals alike. Lloyd snarled and batted them away, the strobe effect mildly disorienting. So was all the shouting, but that couldn’t really be helped.

He felt Delilah’s familiar weight on his back and they immediately got to work trapping the spirits in one corner while the ground rumbled as Cole took on a small army of his own. Fireballs burst once in a while. This is some heavy metal apocalypse in the Cloud Kingdom. Lloyd just hoped it didn’t hurt their chances of saving everyone.

I won’t let it, Delilah mind-whispered, stretching her magic hand wide.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild language

Delilah was pissed. For someone opposed to ‘mortal interference’, Fenwick sure loved making deals with so-called sources of evil.

Just as she was about to give Zane the backhand of his life, everything froze. Don’t worry. I’m on your side, someone was thinking, the unusual mind-cipher of the Writers present as they put Zane to sleep. “Nobu!”

“Hey, Little Monk’s okay!” Cole delighted, carefully taking the Mirror from Nyx’s ghostly grip. Meanwhile Nya and Kenzie were deliberating what to do with the staff, coming to an agreement and giving it to their potential ally.

She inhaled sharply, the heterochromatic lights seeming to spin dizzily as they reappeared. She was beside herself with joy.

“C’mon!” she said. “I’m familiar with an ambler that can bring us home.”

“Wait- we gotta-?” Kai and Nya were worried; an ambler means interdimensional travel not via breach, which ran a few risks. But Delilah also knew Nyx meant well.

“It’s okay. It’s easier than searching for a breach home. Plus, no one here’s ever ridden an ambler. It’ll be fun,” she reassured, knowing - as it did - that it would settle the matter. She didn’t want to stay in the bright Cloud Kingdom much longer, anyway.

“I remember Uncle Wu telling us about these,” Kenzie fawned when they found Nyx’s ambler. “They’re interdimensional creatures just like dragons. I’m actually sorta surprised we didn’t see any.”

“They sensed danger, but we’ve righted everything. The Mirror of Twilight and those after it are no longer in their territory.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah,” Delilah agreed. A smile crept on her face as the large, earth-connected - as amblers originated from Twilight but migrated almost aimlessly - lurched forward.

The clouds melted away, thousands of lights drifting lazily around like a cross between stars and lightning bugs. The craving venture into all the other realms gnawed at everyone - even Kai and Nya forgot their reservations about the ‘Midnight Desert’.

“Quite foolish, honestly,” a still-corrupted Zane bugged. Several pairs of eyes turned to him, some curious and concerned, at least one - Nyx’s - outright wary.

“Buzzkill,” Jay pouted, sprawling a bit in the gigantic saddle.

“Father warned us of the interdimensional plane known as the Midnight Desert.” Nya’s concern returned, apparent in her expression alone. “Other creatures exist here, like dangerous serpents that with one bite devours the soul of its victim and leaving only the husk of what once was.”

“That’s just an old wives’ tale so folks don’t poke around...” Kai you’re literally sweating.

“No, she’s right,” Nyx called over her shoulder.

“And not all dragons are friendly,” Zane pointed out, seeming amused by the rising doubt and panic. Then there wa sKenzie, who, on top of all that, felt guilty for multiple things, including his shattered wing and dropping the Moon Primal, leaving them incapable of declouding his mind. And by extension, Shard’s.

Poor thing.

“Party pooper,” Kai teased, turning over for the time being.

☾

Soon everyone was asleep, trusting the ambler’s large size to scare off any soulfangs. Everyone but the one person he was expecting, anyways. It made Zane bitter.

She didn’t want to speak, but neither did he. He was still angry. He usually didn’t stay so angry for long. He felt like he betrayed the Blades and their oath of discipline; it felt like sin. Will I be discharged before I find out what happened to my father? And it circled back to why on earth was he so angry still? Something about his father’s compass and his wing...

Yes, my wing. My key to freedom. And it’s broken.

Because of her, a little voice reminded him. It wasn’t Shard’s - not really. It sounded like him, but he kept saying strange things. He was angry, too. It reminded him of... What was I thinking about? No matter.

It shouldn’t be long now before they were back in Twilight. Master wanted Kenzie. It was important to that plan to make everyone live forever. It was a good plan. Yes, a good plan. He needed one of his own to fix whatever had happened. But how?

He looked to the Midnight Desert for inspiration, the mystic light skipping over everything. Odd how a dangerous zone between realms could be so... peaceful...

Oh, I was angry. Why was that?

Because of her...

☾

"No news, Your Majesties,” Ibis smiled. He was just coming in from the outpost, it seems, when the ambler rumbled in. It lazily continued on as everyone dismounted. Lloyd was thinking about how funny it was when it dawned on him- Oh, wow. How do you even say that here?

The Storm Spire was a bit busier this time as Ibis led them to the other fragments he’d been storing. Lloyd noticed one dragon was struck blind and very grumpy. But a real dragon!

Another much smaller, much bluer one bounded around, cooing like a puppy. Lloyd’s mind chimed ‘sky’ so peacefully it didn’t hurt at all.

“Prince Azymondias, I trust you slept well?” Ibis tried to sound professional even as he scooped up the baby dragon and nuzzled him. The dragon prince licked his face, sparks of lightning shooting about, causing the mage to laugh gleefully. Kenzie tugged on Lloyd’s gi.

“Mama told me about him!” Her gold-trimmed green eyes swirled with stars, molten with excitement. “He’s so smol and cyoooooot!”

Lloyd lifted his hand for his fellow prince to sniff. “Hey, little guy. You having fun here?” He yipped, jumping into Lloyd’s arms with more of those zappy kisses that fizzled along his cheeks outwards. Suddenly it occurred to him that the little dragon in his arms closely resembled one he had as a child, sewn with care and sturdy enough to withstand teething and endlessly rough play. What did I call him...? Zym... Zym!

His friends were blowing kisses and making faces at Zym, enjoying their time while Ibis left and came back with the other two shards.

“So,” Nyx piped up from Kenzie’s glasses, “straight to Kryptarium?”

He knew - just as everyone did - that she was just trying to make conversation, perhaps even make up for their awkward first impressions. But it did catch Lloyd off guard. Am I ready?

Kai to the rescue with his epic shoulder touch. “We could stop by Lujanne’s first. Drop off this guy,” he suggested, jabbing a thumb towards an irritated Zane. “We’ve been on the go for a while now.”

“Kai’s right. And I know how badly y’all wanna see your parents,” Delilah added with a wink.

“You’re right...” He didn’t even have to debate it. “Lujanne’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to play around with Zane's corruption. With the corruption of each party there's a different motive. Like Runaan, Rayla, the assassins, and the Sunfires were all grieving Tink and wanted to bring him back. Kai was trying to save Nya. Their minds work towards that. Zane's is a little different. He's somewhat grieving the "loss" of his wing, but he's locked in a loop, and as explained, Shard is like an extension of Zane so he's in there, too.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any of y'all miss Angry Kenzie?

"I’m glad to see you,” Garmadon greeted once his wolf form shifted to the image of the Fallen King of Twilight. He wrapped a bony arm around each child, his armor digging in a bit but nonetheless a great hug.

“At least you are!” Kenzie smirked, shaking her head.

“Lujanne always gets annoyed whenever we visit. I’m not sure who’s getting used to this, her or us,” Lloyd joked. Luckily the illusionist guardian of the nexus was willing to even allow them on the premises, and took Zane to her meditation study. Lloyd wasn’t sure what the Plan B would’ve been. “Least we’re almost done.”

“Yeah...”

“Who was that?” their father asked, cautious enough to grab the hilt of his sword.

Low and behold, Morro seeped out from behind Kenzie. He cast his dark eye sockets downwards - how do I know that? - seeming to wait for a scolding.  
Instead, the king stooped to hold the young man. Their cousin was stiff at first, not feeling anything close to this comforting in decades.

Lloyd hadn’t yet bonded with the ghost, but his gut churned as Kenzie finished telling him what happened to the boy after Ibis dropped the bomb. He was just a kid, sentenced to a lonely existence. He had every right to be bitter and maybe even a little immature first chance he got.

When his dad finally let go, brushing the hair from his face, Lloyd pulled him in as well. “Thanks for taking care of my sister.”

“Of course... Thanks for freeing me. And sorry we got off on the wrong foot.”

“Families fight sometimes. We’re closest at dusk, anyways. So... We good?”

Morro pulled away, suddenly looking possibly as young as he did the lonely day he died in that mountain. His clothes were no longer so tattered and his hair was looking nicer. The tear burns around his hazel eyes fa- hazel?

The astonished grin enveloped Lloyd with a warm embrace.

“Forgiveness changes a lot of things,” Garmadon said delicately. “I had no idea my children were on your mind.”

“...I...Well I wanted to make Sensei proud, and be someone my new family could look up to... But Dad...”

“My brother regretted his countermeasures everyday, and has mourned your death since the day he discovered your remains. He never stopped loving you, I promise.”

“Thank you...”

☾

'Forgiveness changes a lot of things.’ Her father was brilliant! Whether he knew it or not, Papa just handed me the key to stopping Aara...

They spent the better portion of a movement there at the Nexus, and Lujanne actually didn’t seem to mind. Every afternoon the twins would meet with their father, making sure to include Morro every time. They did try inviting everyone else, and one time Delilah agreed to, but it was pretty unanimous that such gatherings were private. So Kenzie and her brother did the next best thing: told their friends about their father, and told their father about their friends. He seemed to really like them, and for a couple of kids who grew up without their dad, it was precious time well-spent.

Eventually, however, this needed to be put on hold. Delilah made the breach this time, referencing Cole’s marked up map and landing them near where they met Runaan.

Kryptarium was still as a ghost town, silence echoing back on them. At the same time, Kenzie felt like she physically couldn’t speak. As they climbed the tower to the Mirror Chamber, she realized why Ethari called this place one beyond life and death at the... center of the universe, was it?

Passively, the Mirror of Twilight can lead to a source of evil. It sounded terrible. What might come out? And what exactly happens when they use it actively?

☾

Anxiety rose in Delilah’s chest as they approached the mirror’s base. This is the place the gods - the original Triforce - selected to punish those who threatened and marred their creation. This is the place where Lotor - who not even Delilah was aware still lived - ceased to exist.

This is the place where Neuro was taken from me.

D? You ok?

I’m not sure. I wanna fix everything, but it’s complicated.

Cole offered his hand, warm and calloused around her own. I’m here. We do this together, no matter what. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you, Babe.

Delilah snuggled up against his massive arm, comforted but uncomfortable.

Now or never, I guess...

☾

Lloyd traced the runes along the frame of the Mirror with his eyes as they marched up the steps. He thought it was a beautiful relic. He also thought it was secretive and dangerous. Almost in response, the sack Ibis gave them to safely transport the broken glass pulsed.

And pulsed. And pulsed.

Eventually Lloyd had to peak, watching helplessly as they rather instinctively followed the unspoken call of the frame. “Woah... Why didn’t it do that earlier?”

“That stupid piece of glass sent us all across the realm just to fix itself?!” Jay screeched, continuing to ramble on about how little sense that made. What are those Writers doing?

“Thank you,” a voice said from behind. Lloyd turned his focus away from the light show before him and saw two white-haired Moonshadows, a couple holding hands with relieved looks on their faces as they pulled each other in.

“Who are you?” Kai asked, embodying confusion while Delilah ran up to them - and stopped just short.

She’s just... staring. Is she speaking to them? Do they know her? Well of course they should know her she’s their princess!

Lloyd’s inner debate ended when the couple hugged his friend. He checked around to see if he’d missed something, but everyone else looked just as perplexed. He wished Zane felt better so he could explain things clearly and concisely like always. He missed it.

“Pardon us,” the woman said. Lloyd’s chest squeezed as her aura reminded him of his mother’s. “We’re Tiadrin and Lain, members of the Dragon Guard trapped here by Dark Mages when then took over the prison.”

Tiadrin and Lain... Those were the names Runaan mentioned when he came to Thurkiitu!

“We never saw you,” Kenzie replied, mildly suspicious but mostly concerned as far as Lloyd could tell.

The Twyl named Lain - as his wife had directed during her introduction - sweeped strands of hair behind her ear. “No. Our quintessence lay within the walls or Kryptarium. But now that we’re free, we will help operate the Mirror.” Lloyd admired the man’s Dragon Guard armor as he strode to the infamous relic.

“Is it safe?” It isn’t like Delilah to ask questions.

“I know you’re scared,” Rayla’s mom said, hands on either shoulder. “But we’ll be operating it as a bridge, not a weapon. You’re not your brother - we won’t hurt you.”

“Wait what now,” Jay reeled. Delilah looked ashamed.

Kenzie took a questioning step forward. “D?”

“You knew?” Lloyd accused. There was a flicker in her violet orbs. “How long? How long, Delilah?”

Cole stood between the two, guarding the petite Twyl. “She had a hard enough time dealing with the news. It isn’t her fault!”

“But she didn’t think to tell anyone? Why?”

“I thought we were BFFs, Okami!”

“What did he do?”

Delilah gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. Lloyd could tell she was willing to bite her tongue. It’s bad. But are you going to bottle it up and lose everyone’s trust in you?

No...

“Well?”

“He was one of Haggar’s followers... I found out when Aaravos cursed us.”

“But that’s not all, is it?” Nya asked viciously. Her deep blue eyes were like a storm brewing over the ocean.

Lloyd looked to Rayla’s birth parents. They looked alarmed, not knowing Neuro’s death or banishment or whatever wasn’t common knowledge. He marched to them.

“Lloyd don’t.”

“Tell us everything or they will.”

“Trust me-”

“-Oh, like you trust us?” Kenzie spat.

“You wanna go there, princess? Why don’t you explain to everyone how you don’t wanna fight Aaravos!”

“HISTORIA VIVENTEM!”


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order 51. That's all I gotta say. For any of you who still question why Kenzie got Power, your answers are arriving.

There was a terrible moment of silence as the rune burst around the chamber. A moment where, as the moondust settled, friendships lay in ruins.

Tiadrin and Lain, along with six other Dragon Guard, stood poised around the Mirror, tensing as a gentleman dressed in dull grey approached. It was hard to tell how old he was, but the structure of his horns suggested he was aligned with the Moon Primal. He raised his hands, removing a metal chain from his neck and hissing in pain. The soldiers shared looks, but kept their guard.

“I come of my own free will,” the gentleman said through gritted teeth.

“You expect us to trust you?” a guard chided. “The most powerful telepath in all the realm?”

“Please don’t shout. I’m already regretting removing my Barrier,” Neuro choked out. “You know why I’m here. My sister doesn’t deserve a life on the run, or needing to hide every time I visit. You don’t want her, you want me. I’m the one who made the Oni Masks.”

“Is that a confession?”

The man grunted before managing a nod.

Lain stepped forward. “Why?”

“I was blind. I thought I was fighting for the glory of the Galra and its knowledge. Quintessence has the power to alter perception after all, and I’ve fallen victim to it.” Neuro opened his eyes, glowing like only quintessence could do.

He drooped like a blossom as the Mirror came to life with a thick, gooey aura. But even he screamed when it devoured him whole.

Delilah sank to the floor, tears staining her attire where they fell. Cole held her while glaring at Kenzie. Damn.

“Alright, now show us yours,” Jay grunted. Lloyd could see the danger in his eyes and was ready to shift at a moment’s notice. He didn’t want to fight his new friends, but at the end of the day that’s his twin sister they’re threatening. Something may be off with her resolution, but Lloyd trusted his gut, and it said there’s a reason and a plan.

“She’s wrong,” the Startouch answered hoarsely.

“D might’ve kept secrets but she’s never lied or led us astray.” Jay had to hold Nya back for an instant. “Have you just been sabotaging us the whole time? Is that why Zane was upset enough to go rogue? He kept saying it was your fault.”

The truth of that statement weighed down like a ton of bricks. “But it can’t be...”

“You’d really trust the words of a puppet?”

“Seems you do - you don’t wanna help!”

“Kai, please...”

“That’s not right, though!” Kenzie insisted. Tiadrin and Lain approached cautiously, Kenzie flinching away. “No! None of you get it! I will do what’s best for my realm, but I’m not about to kill my godfather! He’s as corrupt and confused as everyone else y’all were so willing to save. I refuse to leave a stone unturned!”

Amidst a white fury, Lloyd saw Rayla’s parents slacken a bit, their eyes no longer the brown or blue he’d seen before. They began charming the Mirror, the platform coming to life.

Runes floated, orbiting the walls of the chamber and spinning what could only be described as a light reflection of the Mirror of Twilight on a much larger scale. “Kenzie, calm down, sis. What are you doing?”

The Dragon Guard shook away their dream-like daze. Lloyd’s head began to sting.

Follow me.

Anywhere.

☾

The path felt like a tunnel through a huge bluster. Kenzie had to close her eyes against both the physical and emotional sting. She didn’t need to look for very long, anyway, to know it was a safe, straight shot through the Midnight Desert, the same funny lights from before stepping stones between swarms of small, black snakes.

If only it were that easy to shut out how unfair everyone is being.

Nonetheless, the wind died down and she opened her eyes. The numbness from the cold went away, and Kenzie could once more feel her brother’s hand in her own.

They were back in Daibazaal. It was a name the Startouch vaguely recognized from while she was in stasis before waking up in the Birchwood Forest, but she mostly just pulled it from Lloyd’s mind. How does Delilah do it? Sure, years of practice and not controlling people, but this is exhausting. But she needed her brother’s fighting skills.

Daibazaal was in shambles. Crows wandered the premises, and the only bit that remained - aside from a graveyard - were nine towers, one very distinct from the others.

There. With some extra effort Kenzie breached them to the floor behind the highest window she could see. Lastly, she used the breath spell and let Lloyd go.

☾

'Where... am I...? “Kenzie? Ken-?” He spotted her, catching her breath against a stone depiction of a Serpentwyl general. “You okay? What happened? I- I think I blacked out.”

“The Mirror brought us to where Aaravos is hiding. A tower near the woods? It’s just so high up,” she chuckled weakly. She swatted Lloyd’s hand away and forced herself to a nearby window. The view was of Daibazaal, once the capital of the Galra Empire, reduced to rubble.

“Where are the others?”

“They were too upset to follow, I suppose. They could’ve walked any distance behind us. At least you’re here. I’m scared to face him alone.”

Lloyd nodded, slightly dazed, but remained silent as he followed his twin up the inclining floors. As they got closer to the top, avoiding doors their left which were locked but probably not what they were looking for anyway, he spotted a few absurdities.

First were some Fangpyres. That alone wasn’t strange as they lived below the capital. What was strange was how lackluster they looked, as if they were made of stone. Their timid eyes seemed to look right through the twins as they passed. They raised no alarm even as Lloyd shoved one through a window, so he left them alone.

Another oddity was a purple caterpillar scurrying ahead. It looked to be growing larger, iridescent with antennae and pinchers.

And finally, they came across a curtain with patterns Lloyd remembered from when he first started off, ‘needing’ Delilah to yank him into another realm. But this wasn’t the same deep amber color at all, but similar to the light purple of Rayla’s true eyes.

“The only way up is through that,” Lloyd said reluctantly. If the gold one took them to Twilight, where did this one lead? Plus there’s just a grossness factor to it, making him feel the same batch of queasiness he did at the aero-hydraulic bridges near Oppenheimer.

“I’m not looking forward to it, either.”

It was thick and gooey, but they passed through and headed up the unlit stairs, barely seen next to the curtain. Lloyd’s sword began to glow, touched by the magic of the odd material. “Woah.”

“I’ll take that as a good sign.”

“Yeah. C’mon!” Holding Kenzie’s hand, Lloyd led the rest of the way up. Eventually they came up through the next floor and into a mostly dark, wide room. To Lloyd it seemed it was designed to mimic the eight black obelisks surrounding the Galra city, but there were these glowing blue crystals lighting the space, at least.

Tick clack click tack. Something was moving through the shadows. The crystals did very little to illuminate the situation.

Tick clack click tack. Large, multi-footed, gurgling. What the quiznak?

Tick clack click tack. STARTOUCH STARTOUCH STARTOUCH. Lloyd waved his sword haphazardly, searching for Aaravos. His mind thumped with dangerous certainty - it just has to be him! It was so much louder now.

Then it all stopped. The clattering, the gurgling, the pounding. Silent as death.

Then it became darker, the blue crystals dimming enough that it was impossible to distinguish them from their surroundings. They sputtered. Died. Flickered. Sprung back to life.

Aaravos watched with cold, black eyes.


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays from Twyl! Here we have another angry chapter for y'all to read. WARNING: mild language, Aaravos, argumentation, Wormie.

He sat sprawled across what looked like a throne. Only, he’s not really here. He was the same as the last time she saw him, a being made of light, and the room’s main lightsource.

All the rage from before returned. One by one, he’s taken every good thing away from me in a pursuit to win me over somehow. Kenzie fumed. “Stop this, Aara. Where are you?”

He snickered, standing and floating towards his target. “You never finished our game. You miss your ‘friend’, don’t you?”

The twins remained silent and still, communicating through hand squeezes that neither of them were sure what to do yet, but they’d help each other. Kenzie wouldn’t mention it, but she wondered if she’d need another mind link so soon. This time likely won’t require a full mental invasion, but even then just the thought was exhausting.

Aaravos sighed in frustration. “I like watching his dreams. They’re quite fascinating with absolutely no intrusions. He thinks of you frequently. Did know that?” Her heart fluttered a bit, but she clung to her brother. “He curses himself for it, of course, but he’s quite helpless,” he chuckled. He seemed restless, drifting from one spot to another, sometimes disappearing and reappearing. Kenzie thought back to a time she called him out for it. It was from his days in Oriande, nothing to really do but study magic. It was why he traveled the world. If he’s been here all along, he must be itching to leave.

Except he’s not actually in this tower, or at least not this precise room. “Where are you?”

“Behind every reflection you peer into, in every book you love, within the eyes of every friend you cherish and who will inevitably break your heart. I am where you want to be, where you are meant to be, for we are the same, from conception to the end of all days.

“Or, perhaps not,” he mused. “Everyone in this realm could live on forever, obtaining new experiences, learning new things, discovering and bringing back any aspect of ancient cultures they so desired. Unlocking our Full Potential. Zane thinks it’s a good idea.” It was a jab to the gut. “He’s a good man. I think it’s a perfect match.”

“They are a good match,” Lloyd agreed, grabbing everyone’s attention and earning an elbow to the stomach. He adjusted his grip on his sword as he spoke, it’s shine growing to illuminate the whole room. Dim, but visible. “But that’s not why we’re here.”

“Oh don’t fool yourself I know why you’re here. You want to kill me.”

☾

"Is that why you left?” Lloyd’s sister retorted. He knew Aaravos struck a nerve bringing Zane up. He wished he could fix it.

“I was already planning on visiting your dear mommy-” Kenzie gasped “-Yes, the Queen has a knack for prophecy, and I wanted to hear what she had to say. But then I felt an immense surge of power, and I don’t doubt it was felt across the sixteen realms. Curiosity as usual got the better of me. I had to see for myself...”

The purple caterpillar from before - now a small serpent with legs - clattered into view, grunting and gurgling affectionately as it ran under its master’s hand.

Kenzie tugged on his hand, signaling to remain quiet. They ran down the steps and through the curtain, Lloyd slicing it down. He watched behind them as his sister scurried away a distance. “Lloyd!”

“He’s gonna-” She was shaking her silvery curls. In her hands was a shimmery dust. “...You... made an illusion?”

She nodded. “I already saw it in the room. He’s preoccupied for the time being. Let’s go!”

“Where?”

“He said he was heading to see Mama. That means Thurkiitu.” Lloyd kept his eye on the door while his sister crafted a breach, the Midnight Desert zipping before his eyes. The familiar marketplace awaited them beyond the city gates, the sounds and smells enticing. This is it. After this we can finally relax and enjoy everything without a time limit over our heads. “That’s odd. I was taking us straight to the castle walls.”

Scoffing, Lloyd took her hand and pulled her onto his back as he vaulted on four legs down the busy street. Blitzing past he noticed the scarlet ponytail of Skylor Chen, but it was gone just as quickly. As they zipped pass the town square he could even feel Kenzie hunch closer, improving the aerodynamics.

The wielder of Courage slowed when he saw his friends waiting in front of what should’ve been the castle walls, but for now was a thick prism of Twyl Energy. Kenzie tensed.

“There you are,” Cole huffed, wrapping a protective arm around Delilah. “Have fun on your little joyride, Princess?”

Kenzie said nothing as she went to inspect the glass-like - very strong glass, apparently - wall. But Lloyd couldn’t. “Hey, my sister has the best intent-”

“-Your sister forcefully puppeteered Rayla’s parents and you!”

“W-what...?” That’s not like her at all. But he did remember how odd his head felt just before he blacked out. And she’d been very tired. No... No, something’s not right.

“You bet your quiznak something ain’t right,” Delilah thundered. “She’s under his spell!”

“She was upset!” Lloyd faithfully defended. “You’re telling me you’ve never made a single bad decision, even for the right reasons? And don’t lie. You could’ve breached us directly into that chamber where the Mirror’s kept.”

Delilah opened her mouth to respond, but shut it. He was right.

Clearing her throat, Kenzie knocked on the prism and said, “We can likely break through by concentrating our power in one spot. Here.” She traced a rune with her finger and a beacon appeared. For a moment, nothing happened. “Look, let’s just get this over with and then we can all go our merry little ways.” Still nothing. “I know his weakness is the Midnight Star, the symbol on his chest. Strike hard and fast and he’ll clock out.”

“She’s not lying,” Delilah acknowledged. “He was always sensitive there.”

Suddenly everyone could move again.

☾

You trust her?

Hell no. She’s a manipulative bi-

“-So which way to the throne room?” Nya asked Lloyd. “I’m willing to bet there’s at least some activity there.”

“It’s... at the top...” the prince recalled. The doors were slowly unlocking themselves in his convoluted mindscape, and though Delilah could’ve just as easily given a straightforward answer, she let them.

Whatever storm was brewing over the Garmadon’s castle, it coated the courtyard in a dream-like varnish. Three statues rose from the mist: those of the first king and his two sons, each holding the family crest: the symbol of the Star Primal with the Triforce at its heart. Supposedly the gods - Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf - were impressed with the family’s devotion to peace and unity, thus following their bloodline and blessing it.

Zelda was the Goddess of Wisdom, and though Delilah couldn’t recall the first wielder of her power, she was aware Misako had it, and now so did she. Link possessed the strength of Courage, touching first to Lloyd’s grandfather, then Garmadon, and now Lloyd. Whether the kid noticed or not, he had a boost of strength in his weakest moments, and it was no doubt Link’s gifts that brought him back when he met an unfortunate fate at the Breach.

Ganondorf was tricky, and many believed he was at fault for Twilight being forgotten. Some thought he was evil, but he was the God of Power regardless of what anyone thinks. Delilah didn’t shy away from the thought that while he might’ve been generous with Wu, his nature shown through in Aaravos - the first wielder - and Kenzie - the last. She wondered why Wu was spared, but then supposed there never needs to be a reason to start chaos. But chaos he did bring.

☾

Through the massive courtyard resembling the one Garmadon could be found in, with enormous likenesses of his father, uncle, and another man they looked like and thus he guessed was his grandfather, Lloyd recalled simpler days. Days where he’d run around with Delilah and Rayla, trying to hit each other with sticks. Days they’d actually train, sometimes in the presence of trained warriors. Days he and his sister lay in the grass, gazing at the stars.

Not days where everyone hated his sister. Not days where, as they searched for the throne room and first found an empty but well-lit ballroom, the only sounds were the apprehensive click of Kenzie’s boots on marble.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAUTION: Death, slight gore, Aaravos.

The Midnight Desert. Aaravos kind of liked the name. It was typically a dangerous field surrounding the realms, but for now it was a peaceful abyss. Neither soulfang nor husk nor ambler in sight. This can only be the work of someone very powerful, but it wasn’t him.

No doubt it was that good-for-nothing ‘Head Writer’. Ex Head Writer. His deeds of ‘mortal interference’ decidedly ‘ill-fitting’ for his realm, punished capitally: he was thrown out. But he wasn’t a complete imbecile. The monk altered the migrations of the interdimensional in order to hopefully seek asylum in Twilight. This was all Zane gave him before their connection was lost.

The Startouch King wandered the planes alone. Upon his father’s death, the last of his generals vanished with his consciousness. It was frustrating, but the show must go on.

In the dark he finally found the pawn, who was visibly relieved. “Lord Aaravos! How good it is we finally meet in person!”

“Yes... Head Writer, are you still interested in my plans for realm-wide immortality?”

“Of course!” the old man chirped, brandishing a dagger he was given to ‘defend himself’.

Aaravos chuckled, plucking the tool from his eager grasp. “You won’t be needing this.” The man was surprised, but agreed. Aaravos smiled at the magical Quintessence, shimmering like a silver rupee. The old man’s smile drifted back to shock, relocating to his throat in bright red.

☾

In the higher floors creatures of molten rock began appearing. Needless to say, said creatures - Cinderhearts, Jay named them - were not friendly. And as they were immune to fire and were strong enough to knock Cole off the castle wall - he hung on but still - their options were limited. Even Jay was out of the question with Fulminus at his disposal; should it blast a limb off it’d only scatter hot rock and ash towards his allies before tumbling back into form.

Thus it was mainly the girls doing all the work. Kenzie shielded everyone while Delilah held several cinderheart in place for Nya to drown. But with far too many for Delilah and Nya to handle alone, Kenzie considered mimicking Nya, however, she could only do one spell at a time, and the resounding thump against the barrier instructed her not to.

The thumping drew closer towards the realm of claustrophobia, a concentrated yet increasingly fragile bubble. Too many. Too many.

Alright, what would Wu do? Actually, nevermind. His whole ‘die with honor’ thing does not help. Mama wouldn’t get into this situation. Quiznak. Do I really gotta resort to what Aaravos would do? ‘Cause right now that probably means massacre in the name of self-preservation.

This isn’t helping...

The star-bubble shrunk until everyone was back to back and still grazing the inner membrane. No no no no no-

-Thunder roared overhead, the rain pouring down heavier and icing over. Kenzie clung to herself when from the cold mist was the few dozen cinderhearts trapped by either glaciers or highly overzealous vines.

“Glad we made it,” a warm voice boomed.

“Juuuust in the nick of time,” another friendly voice teased.

Pidge and Hunk of the Bulmera-Olkari tribe were smiling from the courtyard as their floating prism-thing floated back to them. Flanking them was a whole Sunfire squadron, Ethari mounted on a shadowpaw, and a small fleet of Marmorians. One with speckled white wings approached Tink, who was carrying a bundle, and brought it up to Lloyd: the Golden Armor.

The twins both recognized those wings. But how? Zane’s wing was... “I’m here, My-” She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, warm and wanted. It by no means solved anything, but sometimes it’s the little things. “-Love... Lady! Princess! Ahem, let’s just... stop Aaravos...” Zane shyly took Kenzie’s hand, knowingly weaving into the palace once more.

☾

Something about this place gave Lloyd an extreme case of deja vu. Perhaps it was the feeling of apprehension. Of course this is his childhood home, but the last time he was in the throne room he’d been sent to a different world entirely.

Perhaps it was the Golden Armor Tink forged and enchanted for him that added to that feeling in Lloyd’s stomach.

Perhaps it was Aaravos waiting for them just as he had in Daibazaal.

“Welcome home.” This time Lloyd didn’t hesitate to brandish his sword. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea. Even as the celestial power surged through Lloyd’s body, Aaravos had the audacity to chuckle. “Shadow has been moved by light, it seems... Oh, the irony is wonderful.”

Lloyd observed the room carefully. The tribute to the Triforce above the throne shone in a different light, something gathering towards it. Something that screamed in his head DANGER. “What did you do?”

“I’m finally realizing my dream. Fenwick, his name was? He so kindly provided the last of the power I needed to do what I set out to. I no longer need your permission,” he answered pointedly, glaring at his estranged goddaughter.

No matter what D says I’m positive my sister is good.

“H-he killed him,” Zane gasped. He looked green in the face. “I... I told you where he was, but...”

“‘But’ what, my friend? The man was dishonorable. He would’ve died out there, eventually. I did him a service, ending his miserable life quickly.”

“You’re a monster!” Jay seethed. “And anyone like you!”

Kenzie began muttering something while Lloyd trained his eyes on the symbol Aaravos bore on his chest. The ‘Midnight Star’ his sister had described was similar to the Star Primal symbol, its ‘glow’ instead cupped upwards and its heart black. He has no army other than the cinderhearts, and they don’t appear to have mind powers like Delilah or Zane. He couldn’t foresee Lloyd’s charge. The tension was rising, voices underwater to his ears. Except one.

“Be careful.” The gentle touch on his shoulder sent him forward.

Lloyd would never forget the pained look of shock on Aaravos’ face, the intense struggle for air before he went down. It did not kill him; the sword did not pierce his skin. As the sword bounced off the Midnight Star seemingly harmlessly, Lloyd for an instant doubted his sister’s words, but those doubts quickly evaporated into satisfaction.

Delilah scooped up the villain with her magic hand, meanwhile the light around the Triforce statue drifted downwards. Lloyd felt as if he were made of bubbly water as something left him, too.

The light grew brighter as it converged into one source, leaving behind two Twyls Lloyd feared he’d never see again. Misako and Wu stood open-armed to receive their children.

“You seem to have one more thing to do,” their mother said, sharing a sad but knowing look with Wu. She swept a lock from Kenzie’s face behind her ear. “You’ll see to it that the right thing is done.”

“Yes, Mama...”

☾

The Mirror of Twilight stood proud and ominous, whole once more. The last two Dragon Guards watched keenly over it. The rest had deserted at the first sign of the prison becoming a quintessence lab.

Aaravos had not yet regained consciousness before Delilah unceremoniously tossed him. He was weak and delirious. Zane could sense Kenzie’s uneasiness. The Mirror could lead to a source of evil, a bridge for those on the side of good to seek out those who threaten it. It was also a weapon to end evil by consuming it. The Princess had every right to feel unnerved.

“We won’t make the same mistake twice,” a Guard named Lain announced as he and his mate prepared the sacred artifact. Zane could feel its consciousness waken, ready to do as commanded. He could see the hopelessness in Aaravos’ still-black eyes. He could hear his beloved's mind screaming something about forgiveness, but it quickly became incoherent as she released his hand.

“Princess!” he shouted, though it fell on deaf ears.

Her blackened eyes stared down the inevitable, an otherworldly fire bursting from her fists while the new breach formed and took them away.  
It collapsed, the explosion sending everyone off their feet.

Her eyes... They were black and gold...

☾

Aaravos choked in a gust of air. His chest still hurt, but he managed to sit up somewhat. This was not a kingdom he was familiar with, though it did remind him of the Oriande from his youth. Clouds drifted to and fro.

“Papa... forgiveness changes...” someone muttered. Even in his grogginess, Aaravos still recognized his goddaughter’s voice. But what is she saying?  
“Thank you... for saving me, Starlight. But... why?” He couldn’t deny that he'd been less than kind in his pursuit to persuade her. What was I thinking? But then, she did come to his rescue.

Kenzie turned to face him, eyes glistening with angry tears. “This is Cloud Kingdom, the realm my mother’s from. Her parents left her here as a baby during the Galra-Altean wars. Did you know that?” He shook his head. Misako never spoke of her past. “Do you know what happened to her?” Again he shook his head. “When you killed my uncle and placed that nasty curse on us, she sacrificed herself to save everyone. I had to watch her die, just after I’d seen my uncle...

“And what you did to Tink? He killed my brother. I had to hold him as he took his last breath. That should never have happened.” No... No, he was- “-Luckily we destroyed that mask and Tink happened to have a special herb that brought him back, but that doesn’t change what happened. Because of you.

“So I’m not sure why I saved you. Am I just done with all the death? Do I actually, genuinely feel you can be saved? Or, maybe I just wanted to do it myself,” she finished viciously, eyes flashing a dangerous black and gold. 

The color his allies’ turned with the Quintessence he gave them...

Shock settled in as Aaravos let his dear one drag him to his feet. Grief, the fear of love lost, they were his weapons of choice. Of all the times...

“Papa said forgiveness changes things, and Mama said I needed to do the right thing. I’ve decided that doesn’t mean killing you,” she declared, more sure than ever. “But something still needs to be done to protect my realm. I owe them that...”

“I... I’m... sorry, to have placed you in this predicament...”

“Words I never thought you’d say,” she admitted, pensive eyes skittering before her in search of... something... “But I forgive you. I know you’re not in control. However, not everyone sees the world as I do, therefore I can’t expect their forgiveness, or compassion, or understanding. So it can’t fix you. But I have a feeling I know the compromise.”

“Your Highness!” A little monk wearing the robes of the Head Writer ran down the path towards them, halting at the sight of Aaravos. Kenzie was still holding his hand.

“Don’t worry, Nobu,” she said, dismissively waving off his worries. “I have a plan.”


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one, y'all. But I intend to write a second volume~~~

"He was meant to perish b-b-by the Mirror of Twilight,” Nobu said, horrified. Kenzie knew better than to expect anyone to understand her mind anymore. It swirled with dark, angry thoughts that blocked out those who tried.

“You can talk to dragons now, right?”

“Officially, yes.”

“If I mind link to you, can you bring me to Avizandum?” She gently reached out her hand, waiting, hoping. Her mind was like a room of warped mirrors, all her black-eyed reflections twisted, angry, and afraid. There was no ceiling, only a stormy night sky. But if she looked down, she could see the girl who still hoped for the best. She was good. She could forgive herself because that girl looking back at her knew what she wanted, and that that wasn’t to kill other realms for her gain. She had to still be good, because people were counting on her, and she wanted them to always know they could.

Nobu took her hand.

Cloud Kingdom melted away, but not into the Midnight Desert. Everywhere was black, but the ground reflected her and Nobu in trembling water. Up ahead was an enormous blue reptile who looked vaguely like Azymondias. Avizandum.

“Why do you come to me, child?” His voice was like thunder, low but clear.

“You know my mother.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve come to ask a favor, in hopes your bond with her will grant me it.”

“I feel your heart’s sorrows, child, and I will help you. But know that you may not take it back.”

Kenzie bowed deeply to the king of dragons, opening her eyes to the Cloud Kingdom once more. “What did you ask? The frequencies of our minds are very different,” Nobu immediately asked as she scoured the skies. The wide, all-encompassing pale blue wings banished the clouds, their power crackling across the sky.

“Justice.” The air crackled around her as she was whisked away. Thank you, Nobu, for believing in me.

☾

"I knew it! I knew there was something fishy - I never trust a mind I can’t read!” Delilah was still ranting and raving. But while everyone seemed to agree that keeping her nearby was a mistake after what she did to Lloyd, Lloyd himself was stuck on stupid. She got corrupted... But how, and when?

He knew when she woke up she no longer sounded the same. Of course, as his memories returned it was obvious that was her real voice, anyway. Was it during her capture that that monster changed everything? But she’d been fighting him all along.

Then again, she became more frequently and openly angry. She’d sneak off while everyone slept. When they discussed Aaravos getting what he deserved, she’d go silent.

But her eyes were never the gold-and-black of every other Twyl corrupted by the Galran Emperor. How can that be? She even gave away his weakness, even if it didn’t go quite as Lloyd thought. What did he think?

“The Guardians say she is good, therefore I trust her,” Zane faithfully defended.

“You’re just saying that ‘cause she’s your girlfriend,” Jay snarked back almost childishly. “We all saw what she looked like. She saved that guy.” For some reason no one could say her name. Lloyd could hardly think it without breaking into chills.

Another storm brewed outside, thunder growling nearby. Lloyd had already curled up beside Kai, who per custom pet him comfortingly. He knew what being corrupted was like, and refused to opinionate, though he admitted to being just as baffled by the princess’s behavior.

More thunder rumbled outside, closer now. Kryptarium Prison shook. A singular thought came to mind: Where’s Daddy? It was silly and didn’t sound like him, so Lloyd wondered what came over him.

Until the all but invisible ceiling disappeared, replaced by a giant blue dragon. Tiadrin and Lain knelt before him; Lloyd followed suit.

“I was summoned here by the Triforce to settle a matter of justice,” he roared. More thunder echoed around the chamber. Confused, Lloyd looked up and saw his sister there. Aaravos was clutched within the mighty one’s claws.

“Avizandum, that man has betrayed his kind and enslaved and killed hundreds if not thousands. He must face due punishment,” Tiadrin replied, all of the bite still in her voice. “His apprentice cannot protect him for long.”

“Aaravos has been a danger, but it has been brought to my attention that no one is without sin, and thus a compromise has been sought. One I will honor.” With this, the dragon king roared, waking the Mirror in a state Lloyd had never witnessed. It glowed like the Flames of Wrath below them, bright and ever-changing in color. Lloyd could both see and feel the Twyl Energy it drew to itself, much faster than whatever mechanism Aaravos piloted before. “You will repent, and when you do perhaps the Mirror of Twilight will release the man that was.”

The brilliant aura reached out, absorbing the quintessence from a rightfully cautious Aaravos. All that remained was his worried expression, who looked to Kenzie and mouthed something.

“Kenzie?” Lloyd took a few steps forward, his hand on her shoulder. She placed her own over the reflection’s.

“It was the only way,” she whispered. She locked her jaw with a sickened smile as tears threatened to fall. “Let’s go home.” Hesitant and cursing himself for it, Lloyd looked to Avizandum, who nodded.

Dad said forgiveness can change things, and Mom said do the right thing. So, despite Delilah’s mental protest, Lloyd carried his sister home. The home where most of their fondest memories were and where people didn’t look at them strangely.

On the silent journey, semi-coloned by a helpful breach, Lloyd decided he’d eventually check on Jamonikai, but for now he wanted to be among the warm markets that weren’t always too bright and always had someone new around.

Misako and Wu waited at the far end of the courtyard, swapping tales with the army that had come to the rescue against the cinderhearts. The mid-summer heat had already returned to the grounds. But before Lloyd could continue, Kenzie tugged his fur. “Don’t stop being their friend because of me. What happened was all my doing. No force in the sixteen realms coerced me.”

“Woah, hey,” he said abruptly, taking her by the shoulders. “I think you made a good decision. Eventually whoever disagrees will change their minds, too, because at the end of the day we all wanted to do what’s right. Okay?”

“How can you be so confident?”

He took her hand and lead the way home. “Easy. Hawks and owls represent different things, yeah? But they’re both predatory birds. They just need time to see it.”

“Promise?”

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a wild and amazing ride, and I hope everyone who reads this has just as much fun as I did... and cried...
> 
> Later, Lovelies!


End file.
